The Year of the Pig

/// Shot during Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, in the southern Chinese provinces of Guangxi and Guizhou, these photographs capture the bucolic nature of rural life in this remote and scenic region. From the Karst limestone peaks of Guilin and Yangshuo to the enormous rice paddy terraces of Longjitian (Dragon’s Spine Terraces), the natural scenery of this region is unrivalled by almost anywhere else in China. Guizhou province, China’s poorest per capita, is blessed with particular charm for being one of few places left in the entire country where traditional wooden architecture still predominates at the village level. Due to the remoteness and isolation of many towns and villages, Guangxi and Guizhou are also among the most ethnically diverse provinces in China, with large numbers of ethnic minorities, including the Zhuang (China’s largest), Dong and Miao. The Dong and Miao in particular have resisted assimilation into the Han Chinese cultural milieu by maintaining their distinct sartorial and architectural customs. Finally, this set also features a number of images of animals, some of which certain viewers may find disturbing. Please take into consideration that APG strives to provide authentic, unvarnished representations of the people and places featured on APG3.TV.