Miao traditions beset by 'hollow villages'  

通訊：探訪中國最大苗寨背后的“空心村”

一直以來，貴州省黔東南的西江給外界留下的印象都是：“中國僅有、世界無雙的千戶苗寨”，整個苗寨有1250戶，5600多人。旅游業的興起正改變著這個傳統的村寨。

Leishan (CNS) –– Xijiang Miao Village, the largest village of the Miao ethnic group in China and a popular tourist resort, has lured many of the region's young adults away from their hometowns, an exodus that has resulted in a phenomenon called "hollow villages."

Located in southwestern Guizhou Province, Xijiang Miao is home to 1,250 households made up of more than 5,600 residents, many of whom have left their villages behind in search of income.

The term "hollow village" was first employed by Professor Xi Xuesong of China Agricultural University to describe villages where most adults have left. Dozens of these villages are scattered in the mountains near Xijiang Miao, and there traditional ways of life can't be passed down, Xi says.

In Maliao Village, which lies northwest of Xijiang, one rarely sees young men or hears the laughter of children. Only the elderly and 12 first grade kids remain, says Li Shilin, residential committee director of the village. Most young people have left to do business in nearby towns, Li adds.

Original customs for weddings, funerals and ethnic holidays are preserved in these villages, where old people still care about them. Only they know the history of the Miao ethnic group, Li says.