Tag: ethnic minority

Quietly They Toil~ Yunnan

For some of us here on earth, the day begins and ends with physical work, and that brings a simple satisfaction of a hard-earned existence. Every working face I saw during my travels in Yunnan was always ready to break into an unapologizing smile; they possessed a contentment that can be forgotten to us in our boxed offices and multiple screens facing us every waking moment. They commune with nature, the wind, the elements, the land and that rewards them with a sense of belonging. They remember that they are earth dwellers and that simple truth is their fountain of wisdom.

Tags asia, china, connected, connection, earth, ethnic minority, happiness, labor, outdoor, satsifaction, simple, simplicity, work, worker, yunnan

CHINA inspiration Photography Yunnan

The Soul of Yunnan~

Golden dedication~ Yunnan — Golden Dedication

Every new journey gives me a renewed set of reasons to do what I love to do. I love the art of photography. Time stops when I am in the streets of a new place, meeting people, looking through their eyes, watching them from a distance as they do what they do, and feeling a rising sense of excitement at being part of it all. In my recent trip to the region of Yunnan around Dali, I had a lot of time to reflect and to ponder what it is about photography that keeps me traveling, venturing and adventuring in search of human connection. It came to me one early morning just before sunrise, it is the soul of the place, that is what meets me at those special moments and gives me permission to capture its magic. You may give it any other name you wish, for me, it’s the soul.

she bashfully ran in a swoosh of color~ Yi Minority~ Yunnan — She Bashfully Ran in a Swoosh of Color

Tags bai, china, color, dali, documentary, er'hai, ethnic minority, fishing, lake, minority, people, photography, street, sunrise, yi, yunnan

CHINA Photography Yunnan

The Ethnic Minority Culture of Yunnan~ China

Post author By ~mimo~
Post date March 22, 2015
12 Comments on The Ethnic Minority Culture of Yunnan~ China

I returned with a small group of photographers last week to this remote region of China’s Yunnan Province that haunted me since my last visit to the area a couple of years back.

It is the type of journey you would do if you were really in love with photography and different cultures that make up pieces of the puzzle of the human story on our planet.

The journey was a great challenge from the long drives, to the heat, the spare accommodations and the great element of unknown.

It was the opening of my series of documentary photography workshops that I am doing in Yunnan and despite all the challenges we faced, I can happily call this a great success.

I will be sharing here a series of images, stories, portraits and special stories about this journey into a unique and mysterious part of the world.

Tags cheyi, china, documentary, ethnic minority, hani, history, honghe, human, human condition, journey, my yunnan adventure, myyunnanadventures, people, photography, workshop, yunnan

CHINA old age old people street Travel Yunnan

wearing her story ~ Yunnan

Post author By ~mimo~
Post date July 15, 2013
11 Comments on wearing her story ~ Yunnan

Every stitch on her costume, every threaded bead she decorates herself with, every wrinkle on her face plays a part in telling her story, a life so different to ours, a world so alien to 21st century culture, an existence rising out of old traditions, she belongs to a tribe that allows strangers no access. All I could capture was the sense of her presence and the few photographs that I always hope could link to the state of standing in front of these amazing people.

Tags asia, black and white, china, costume, ethnic minority, jewelry, lady, monochrome, old, people, portrait, square format, tradition, travel, woman, yi

CHINA old age old people Photography street Travel Yunnan

stories of times gone by~ Yi woman~ Yunnan

Post author By ~mimo~
Post date June 22, 2013
18 Comments on stories of times gone by~ Yi woman~ Yunnan

stories of times gone by~ Yunnan~ Yi woman

It is such a common sight in Yunnan to see these strong women from the Yi ethnic minority with pipes lit in their mouths puffing at tobacco smoke around the streets, markets and village homes. The pipes are hand crafted and each woman holds on to hers for life proudly. When I asked about the place where we can buy one, I constantly received puzzled looks, “you don’t buy these, you get one made for you when you come of age”!

Tags black and white, ethnic minority, lines, mimo khair, old, pipe, portrait, smoke, stories of times gone by, street photography, tobacco, woman, wrinkles, yi

CHINA inspiration old age old people Photography Yunnan

from the heart~ Yunnan

A woman from the Yi ethnic minority with her traditional square hat laughing with all her heart at the market after my friend showed her her image on the camera screen.

Tags asia, beautiful, china, color, costume, ethnic minority, from the heart, happy, hat, laughter, mimo khair, photography, portrait, square, traditional, woman, yi, yunnan

children CHINA Yunnan

a moment in the life of an Yi little boy~ Yunnan~ China

Post author By ~mimo~
Post date June 18, 2013
15 Comments on a moment in the life of an Yi little boy~ Yunnan~ China

I am just back from a photographic adventure in Yunnan and Sichuan near Lijiang, China. I had the chance to visit the Yi, Mosuo and Naxi minorities in their traditional remote villages. I will be posting a series of portraits from the rich and strange life of the people of that region in the next few weeks.

Tags boy, children, ethnic minority, mimo khair, photography, picking nose, portrait, road, street, village, yi

CHINA Guilin Photography Travel

Day 27~ December 27th~ Guilin

Post author By ~mimo~
Post date December 28, 2012
1 Comment on Day 27~ December 27th~ Guilin

The beautiful yao~ on the Longji ricefields

The Yao, one of the 54 recognized ethnic minorities in China, number over 2 million and retain today many of their original traditions. Bright colors and silver adorn them and mountains are their preferred settling places. They form part of the colorful mosaic that China is.

Tags asia, basket, beautiful, black and white, china, ethnic minority, girl, guilin, hat, head dress, long ji, mimo khair, mosaic, people, photography, rice fields, silver, tradition, woman, yao

CHINA Guilin Photography Travel

Day 26~ December 26th~ Guilin

Post author By ~mimo~
Post date December 28, 2012
7 Comments on Day 26~ December 26th~ Guilin

The long haired women of the yao minority

No one is allowed to see her hair until she marries, each Yao woman can carry around her head up 1.9 meters of hair wrapped around like a crown. If a young man happens to catch sight of a girl’s hair, then he must invite her to live with his parents as a bride for 3 whole years. Another of our wonderfully colorful human traditions and another chapter in the mystery of hair.

Tags asia, china, color, ethnic minority, guilin, hair, long hair, longji, mimo khair, people, photography, tradition, travel, woman, women, yao

art CHINA contemplations Guilin inspiration Photography Travel

Day 21~ December 21st~ Guilin

Post author By ~mimo~
Post date December 25, 2012
6 Comments on Day 21~ December 21st~ Guilin

With every passing year, with each journey into the far away places, I pray that these colorful people of the world are still there, being celebrated, appreciated and not become integrated into a characterless soup of grey humanity.

Tags china, color, colorful, costume, ethnic minority, fence, human, humanity, jewelry, longji, mimo khair, people, photography, travel, tribal, woman