Field Research to Xiaohuang Dongzhai: Finding Cultural Balance

Today we went to Xiaohuang Dongzhai, another Dong village that is renowned for their Dongzudage, a traditional form of singing without accompaniment. One interesting discovery I had in today’s field research was the conflict between advanced development and preservation of cultural traditions. When we first entered the village, all of the buildings were newly made of bricks instead of using the traditional method of constructing the buildings with woods. Motorcycles, even cars, were parked near the streets and in front of the newly built houses. The local residents were mostly dressed in modern clothes rather than traditional customs. When I took photos around the village, a weird sense of discord appeared. In front of wooden buildings that were more than 100 years old, there were motor vehicles. It was a strange contrast of the past and present, which made me realize how rapid today’s development of society mars the old traditions of villagers.

My thought was that the villagers need to be mindful of keeping their traditions while continuously living in advancement and development. Development is always necessary in order to keep up to the pace of the world. However, the villagers could not move on from their past and traditions at all times. Here is a question that I want to present for all of us to think about: How do we keep the balance between the fast and ceaseless development while preserving cultural traditions?