Geography and Climate of Dong (侗族)
With a population of almost 3 million, the Dong people live slightly north of the Tropic of Cancer and enjoy a mild, rainy climate. The people like fir trees and grow many of them. When a baby is born, a fir is planted; when the child reaches 18 and gets married, the tree is felled for house-building. These are called ‘eighteen-year trees,’ despite maturing in only eight to ten years thanks to modern cultivation methods.
The Dong people are farmers and they grow such crops as rice, wheat and sweet potatoes. Cash crops include tobacco and soybeans.
- Population: 2,960,293
- Distribution: Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi
- Language: Dong
- Religion: Polytheism
Language of Dong (侗族)
Dong people had to read and write in Chinese before 1949, as their spoken language had no written equivalent before this time. Their written language is now based on the Latin alphabet.
History of Dong (侗族)
After slavery gave way to a feudal society during the Tang dynasty, the Qing dynasty was a time of agricultural development. Rice production increased, and markets and businesses were set up. However, after the Opium War of 1840-42, the Dongs were once again reduced to poverty.
Traditions of Dong (侗族)
Dong villages comprise twenty to thirty households and are located near streams. Houses which are built on the riverbanks or on slops are built on stilts. Drum towers are where people gather to celebrate on New Year’s Day.
Bridges are stunning examples of folk architecture, including ‘wind and rain’ bridges (Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge in Sanjiang is especially notable.)
Poems and legends are handed down through the generations, with songs and dances being an important part of everyday life for Dong people.
Until 1949, women were segregated; they could not inherit and unmarried girls could not be visited by men. On marriage, girls continued to live with their parents, only going to their husbands’ homes on special occasions, only going to live there permanently after the birth of their first child.
Religion of Dong (侗族)
The Dong people believe in ancestor worship and revere the ‘saint mother’; temples and altars have been erected in her honour in Dong villages.
Modern Times of Dong (侗族)
After 1921, Dong people began to fight for their emancipation, and in 1951, the Longsheng Autonomous County was founded. The Sanjiang, Tongdao, Miao-Dong and Xinhuang Dong Autonomous Counties followed. The agrarian reform meant the feudal oppression of the Dong people was ended.
Living conditions have improved in recent years, with the setting up of schools and medical facilities; industry has also come to the area.
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