Baiyinnuo Ethnic Culture Park

Baiyinnuo Ethnic Culture Park

Baiyinnuo Oroqen Ethnic Township is situated on the picturesque Huma River. "Baiyinnuo" means "happiness and prosperity" in the Oroqen language. The Oroqen people refer to themselves with this term, which means "people of the mountains" or is also interpreted as "people who use reindeer." As one of China’s five smaller ethnic groups, the Oroqen have a tradition of being rugged, musical, dance-loving, and warm-hearted. Whenever friends visit, they dress in their ethnic festival attire, enjoy "hand-held meat," stay in "chum" tents, watch traditional ethnic song and dance performances, participate in bonfire parties, and fully experience the simple charm of northern ethnic minorities. The Oroqen people follow Shamanism, and "the last shaman," Elder Guan Kou’ni, resides in Baiyinnuo Township. The Baiyinnuo Oroqen Folk Art Troupe has participated in various performance events held outside the province. It is also home to the "Gulunmuta" Festival, listed in the first batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the primitive Oroqen tribe.

"Baiyinnuo" means "happiness and prosperity" in the Oroqen language. Baiyinnuo Oroqen Ethnic Township is located in the northern part of Huma County, on the alluvial plain on the north bank of the middle reaches of the Huma River. It lies at 125°54′ east longitude and 50°49′ north latitude. To the south, it neighbors Xinghua Township and Hanjiayuan Town; to the west, it connects with Tahe County; and to the north, it borders Oupu Township. It is situated at the eastern foothills of the Yilehuli Mountains in the Greater Khingan Range. The township covers an area of 419.5 square kilometers and administers six administrative villages, including Hongguang, making it the only ethnic minority township in Huma County. In September 1953, the first Oroqen hunting and fire prevention team settled here, eventually developing into a village. The total population of the township is 2,005, including 264 Oroqen people. Seven ethnic groups live here: Han, Oroqen, Manchu, Mongolian, Hui, Korean, and Daur, making it one of the settlements where the Oroqen people are concentrated.

Baiyinnuo Oroqen Ethnic Township is located at the northern edge of the North Temperate Zone and features a cold temperate continental climate, with higher terrain in the west and lower in the east. Apart from small patches of plains along the Huma River, the area is mostly mountainous and hilly. The average annual temperature is -2°C. The snow cover lasts over 150 days a year. The freezing period averages seven months annually. The annual precipitation is around 450 millimeters. The frost-free period lasts about 80 to 100 days. Spring temperatures are relatively low, summers are hot but brief, autumn has large day-night temperature variations, and winters are long and harsh.

Baiyinnuo Oroqen Ethnic Township boasts vast land, abundant resources, and fertile soil. It is a labor-intensive township with particularly rich natural resources. In the past, there was a saying: "Beat a roe deer with a stick, scoop fish with a ladle, and have pheasants fall into your cooking pot." The township has 36,000 mu of arable land, with a per capita cultivated land area of 18 mu; forested land covers 454,200 mu, with per capita forest area of 280 mu. The main tree species are larch, followed by Scots pine, birch, oak, and poplar. The Huma River runs through the heart of the territory. There are 138,700 mu of grassland, of which 124,600 mu are usable. With crisscrossing mountain ranges and abundant water and grass, it provides an excellent habitat for wildlife. The variety of wild animals is very rich, and a significant number of second- and third-class nationally protected wild animals still exist. The area has a wide range of mineral resources with considerable reserves. Chinese herbal medicines, wild vegetables, and local specialties are favored both domestically and internationally for being pollution-free and free from contaminants.

In August 1984, the People’s Government of Heilongjiang Province approved the establishment of Baiyinnuo Oroqen Ethnic Township in Huma. Baiyinnuo was separated from Oupu Township, and the Baiyinnuo Oroqen Ethnic Township was officially established.

After the liberation, the Oroqen people transitioned from a nomadic hunting life—supplemented by gathering and fishing—to a settled life. Factories, supply and marketing cooperatives, health clinics, cultural stations, and primary and secondary schools were subsequently built. This area is nestled against mountains and near water, rich in resources. It has rivers such as the Huma River, Geda River, and Yixi River, all part of the Heilongjiang River system. The rivers are home to valuable cold-water fish such as pike, catfish, lenok, taimen, crucian carp, common carp, Chinese high-fin banded shark, and salmon. The mountains feature a variety of tree species, especially larch and birch, and are inhabited by over ten kinds of precious wildlife such as bears, moose, deer, roe deer, and river deer, as well as over ten types of rare birds like hazel grouse and capercaillie. The forests also grow delicacies such as black fungus, mushrooms, hedgehog hydnum, and ganoderma. It has been developed as a folk culture tourism site, and June 8th is designated as Bonfire Festival Day.

The Oroqen are one of China’s five smaller ethnic groups. The Oroqen people in Huma County originally belonged to the Kumara Route, established in 1893. For a long time, the Oroqen people led a nomadic hunting life in China’s northeastern border regions. Familiar with the geographic environment and brave in battle, they were conscripted by the Qing court for military campaigns. "Oroqen" is the self-designation of the ethnic group, meaning "people of the mountains" or, alternatively, "people who use reindeer." Some refer to the Oroqen as a "horseback people," and indeed, they are a skilled equestrian and archery nation, having lived for generations in the forests of the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains, relying on hunting. In earlier times, they had no fixed abode and led a nomadic hunting life. Before liberation, although private ownership was established, remnants of a primitive societal lifestyle were still retained among the Oroqen.

In 1953, under the care of the Party and government, the Oroqen people resettled down from the mountains and ended their nomadic hunting life. The Oroqen people became masters politically, joined the big family of multiple ethnic groups, enjoyed equal rights, and directly participated in and managed national affairs while developing their ethnic economy. Guided by the Party’s policy of enriching the people, the Oroqen people’s living standards improved dramatically. Their clothing, food, housing, and transportation underwent tremendous changes, and all aspects of life, including politics, economy, culture, education, and healthcare, flourished. The Oroqen people’s lives have become increasingly better.

The Oroqen people are known for their rugged character, musical talent, dancing skills, and warm hospitality. When guests arrive from afar, they dress in their ethnic festival attire, light bonfires, and sing and dance. Visitors to the Oroqen township can share a bonfire dinner with the Oroqen brothers, eat “hand-held meat,” stay in “chum” tents, and enjoy ethnic song and dance performances, experiencing the simple charm of northern ethnic minorities. They will also present traditional handicrafts—exquisite birch bark products—for visitors to admire and purchase.

The Oroqen people follow Shamanism. Shamanism is a localized folk religion commonly believed by ethnic minorities in China’s northeast, such as the Manchu, Daur, and Oroqen. Those who preside over religious activities are called "Shamans," who also serve as representatives of the divine. The methods of practice vary depending on content and purpose, but generally involve Shamans wearing ritual garments, headdresses, and using ritual tools. Some Oroqen Shamans may also use horses, claiming that a patient's illness can be transferred to the horse. Others perform shamanic dances, though without active rituals.

The Oroqen are one of the 56 ethnic groups within the big family of China, ranking 53rd in population among the 56 ethnicities. The Oroqen do not have their own written script. Throughout their long history of hunting life, they created a wealth of their own culture and art through practical production experiences. Mythological stories, ballads, proverbs, and other forms of oral literature, though not recorded in writing, have been passed down through generations. These stories fully reflect the Oroqen’s local customs, showcase their cultural characteristics and artistic emotions, and are treasured gems in the nation’s cultural and artistic treasury.

The Oroqen people are known worldwide for their diligence and bravery. During the long historical period before settling down, they hunted in the vast forests of the Greater Khingan Mountains, resisting extremely harsh living conditions and oppression from ruling classes through their primitive way of life. Despite great suffering, they survived and thrived, and fought alongside other ethnic groups to defend the motherland, composing heroic songs of border defense with their blood and lives, demonstrating strong vitality and noble dignity. The Oroqen people are unyielding and hardworking. With their diligent hands, they strive to build their homeland, freeing themselves from the poverty and ignorance caused by long-term exploitation and plunder, rapidly presenting a prosperous, thriving new Oroqen township to the world.

Source: Huma County Party Committee and County Government