National Library of China

Repository of over 23 million volumes, the National Library of China is one of the largest libraries in the world. Notable items in this formidable collection include 35,000 oracle bones, copies of Buddhist sutras from the 6th century, and 16,000 historical manuscripts from the Mogao Caves in Dunhaung.  It also has WIFI, 1,000's of electrical outlets, and air conditioning that is absolutely frigid.  And it may be the quietest place in Beijing. Great place to study.

Fixing an Earring

Another image from Lang De (see Matriarchs and Fire Hydrant).  A young Miao woman adjusts her earring before walking into the village plaza. 

Lusheng

Miao villagers from Lang De (see Matriarchs and Fire Hydrant) play the lusheng, a multi-stemmed bamboo flute, during a welcoming ceremony.

Field Notes

I couldn't resist posting this. This is what the field notes look like from the Wudong transect (see Transect at Wudong).  In spite of the rain, everything is perfectly readable. And Zhiyao Lu's Chinese characters make the whole thing a work of art. Yang Chenghua from the Guizhou Academy of Forestry added the Latin binomials in the margins. My field notes have never looked this good. 

A Good Bowl of Noodles

Breakfast in a small Miao cafe in Xijiang, Guizhou.  Delicious noodles. [NOTE: Very few of us answered in the affirmative when asked if we wanted chili sauce with our noodles.  The Miao have killer hot chili peppers]. 

Fire Hydrant

When you live in a village made entirely of wood (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook wood, to be exact), the last thing that you want is a fire.  Image shows one the fire hydrants scattered throughout the 700 year-old Miao village of Lang De in Guizhao, China.