Gaoxiu Village, Sanjiang County, Guangxi Province and Yanglan Village of Tongdao Kam Autonomous County in Hunan Province, China

An ethnographic, visual anthropological and natural history study.

The raising of fish around and in rice paddies is practiced in numerous parts of the world. This study looks at the methods that are employed by the Kam people of Gaoxiu Village in growing rice and maintaining different varieties of fish in the paddies and fishponds. Kam people also have a tradition of agroforestry and intercropping by clearing parts of the forest to allow for the growing of seasonal crops and tea trees that are used for tea tree oil. While one Kam community may invest more heavily in agroforestry and another more effort is put towards the agriculture and pisciculture both are traditional practices that are weighed more to one venture or the other often due to the terrain and or type of land available.

While the focus of this study was the integration of fish and rice paddies a community is many things. Kam ethnomedicine, drum towers, family and community relationships and all facets of daily life are examined. Nothing stands solely on its own and it is the integration and balance of all these systems that make up a workable and lasting community.

Gaoxiu was an important location because it occupies a narrow part of the valley and in the historical past it was a garrison that provided protection for the villages lying to the north from invading armies. There are ancient remains of a double wall that surrounded Gaoxiu as seen in images 3897 and 3915.

The Kam word can be partially defined from their definition as a people who take cover or to hide away. The Kam, as many of the minority people of China, were often pursued by the Han. They also fought with other minority people in the past. The Hmong were an enemy at one time but became an ally as time went on. They also warred with the Tujia and to this day often have poor relations with this minority group. In the pursuit of defensible land the Kam people also became less known owing to the remote areas they chose. It is with this in mind that many of their customs and practices are less known than that of other minorities within China.

Understanding the constraints that the span of time allotted for this study imposes as much as possible of the use of rice paddies, fish farming, local industry, daily life and interactions were visually recorded and documented.
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Much of the information contained here is primary data and was collected while during this fieldwork.

The Kam minority people are called Dong by the Han majority but as expressed by the Kam people, this is an insult as Dong is not their accepted name but one used by the Han majority. The Kam people as well as other minorities in China have had many things forced upon them, which creates a daily struggle for cultural and self identity.

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Made possible by grants from:
UNESCO-LINKS
UNDESA, through the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, New York

and contributions from:
Irene and Edwin Schaeffer
Randi and Fred Hirschmann, Hirschmann Photography
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Information and elaboration is added every day. All images will have accompanying explanations.
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This gallery is currently being worked on November 18, 2006 -
There will be considerable reorganization and editing of image explanations.
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Principle investigator: Dr. Amy Eisenberg
Botanist and investigator: Dengtao

All images and text by John Amato

Cameras used: Canon 5D, 30D and 350D. Lenses used: Canon 180mm macro, 135L, 60mm macro, 17-35L and 70-200L. A dual remote flash system was used for macro photography with a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod and ball head.
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Copyright. Use of any image is strictly forbidden without my explicit written permission.
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Most images have further information when you click on the thumbnail. ***Explanation*** indicates a greater detail of information than normal.
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