Five-color Rice

Five-color Rice

　　Five-color Rice

　　The young people of the Yiche ethnic group in the Honghe area of southern Yunnan celebrate their annual festival—Yangana—following traditional customs passed down through generations. It is said that in the early days, the ancestors of the Yiche people, due to long periods of monotonous and tedious agricultural labor, suffered from extreme physical and mental fatigue, which led to low enthusiasm for work and frequent delays in production, affecting harvests. To help regulate their physical and mental well-being, relieve fatigue, and boost morale, the clever Yiche people spontaneously organized leisure and recreational activities that did not interfere with work but brought joy—Yangana being one of them. In the Hani language, it means: everyone sings and plays together during the agricultural off-season.

　　Yangjie, Langdi, and Chegu, three townships in Honghe County, are the main settlements of the Yiche people, home to over 20,000 Yiche, with Yangjie Township alone accounting for more than half. As a result, Dayangjie in Honghe County is also known as the hometown of the Yiche. Yangjie is 65 kilometers from the county seat of Honghe. As the car slowly makes its way along the rugged mountain roads, one can gaze out at the layered terraced fields resembling thousands of silver steps, climbing up the mountainside from the valley all the way to the mountaintop. These terraces not only fulfill the survival needs of the Hani people but have also become one of the most breathtaking sights in southern Yunnan. Every year, countless photography enthusiasts from both China and abroad flock to southern Yunnan, aiming their lenses at this spectacular earthly paradise. However, the ethnic culture of the Yiche people and the distinctive attire of Yiche women are the focus of our journey this time.