alecee 0 Posted October 16, 2007 The Li, comprised of five tribes, are the indigenous inhabitants of Hainan Island, China. It is believed that they migrated here more than 2,000 years ago from the mainland. The island of Hainan has approximately the same geographical area as Taiwan and lies at the same latitude as Hawaii. The word "Hainan" means "South of the Sea," but the Chinese likewise call their far southern possession "The Tail of the Dragon"; a wild place at the end of the Chinese world that at one time or another was considered more remote and mysterious than Tibet or Mongolia. The Li are one of fifty-five classified minority peoples of China, and by the 15th century Han Chinese immigrants began driving the Li into the southern mountains and forests forcing them to abandon their traditional settlements on the coastal plains of Hainan Island. With the establishment of the People?s Republic of China in 1949, the communist government - adhering to an atheistic ideology - implemented policies of pochu mixin (eradicating superstitions) and yifengyisu (change prevailing customs and transform social traditions) that quickly collapsed the animistic religion of the Li: one that was based on ancestor worship and shamanism, as well as other salient cultural institutions including music, weaving, and tattooing. Yet it was the rapid decline of the Li economy, one based on the swidden agriculture of rice, that brought virtual extinction to the sociocultural milieu. Because land, the element in which the divine, mythic, and ritual components of life were deeply embedded, bound the Li together into a social fabric that was intricately woven within an integrated system of belief. This form of environmental enchainment engendered a form of life experience that was accreted collectively, since everything in the surrounding environment bore witness to Li existence, including physical and mental attributes, as well more metaphysical practices such as tattooing which were believed to carry individuals into the afterlife. Link to comment
YKV 1 Posted October 16, 2007 Hello, Alec, and thank you for the story. Kind regards, Konstantin Link to comment
janusz taras 0 Posted October 16, 2007 Great work Alec.Excellent composition.Perfect light.7/7.Regards.Janusz. Link to comment
richard hans 0 Posted October 16, 2007 Very interesting presentation & nice expression, perfect control on exposure & great details as usual, Alec! Best regards Link to comment
amalsircar 2 Posted October 16, 2007 A colourful portrait.Very good exposure,light and composition.Many thanks for the information,Alec. Link to comment
mareval 2 Posted October 16, 2007 Nicely taken image. Beautiful portrait and model. Regards. Link to comment
dfeng 0 Posted October 17, 2007 Excellent portrait. Thank you, Alec, for helping preserving a great culture. Link to comment
Ray House 4,337 Posted October 17, 2007 OK, I'll say it... WOW! both discription and photography. What a magnificent lady. Link to comment
mommix 0 Posted October 17, 2007 Unique and excellent! Bravo, 7/7 with all my compliments and regards, Maury Link to comment
iren 1 Posted October 18, 2007 What a lovely woman and fascinating story. Thank you for sharing your story. Greetings form Canada, Iren Link to comment
alecee 0 Posted October 19, 2007 Thanks guys, I will be one of the speakers in the upcoming PIX Conference to be held in Singapore (1-4 November 2007) in conjuction with Imaging Expo Singapore 2007. This is organized by Koelnmesse GmbH. Check out the speakers review at http://www.pix-singapore.com. Koelnmesse is one of the world's largest trade fair organizers, with a string of successful events to its name. This includes Photokina, IMM, ISM, Interzum, Kind & Jugend, IMB, which are acknowledged as global leaders in their market segments. Link to comment
david_cassidy2 0 Posted March 13, 2009 Another fantastic portrait. The expression is filled with LIFE. -David :) Link to comment
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now