(Correspondent: Du Qingli) On July 10, 2021, Class 6, Grade 2020 of the Department of Design, School of Arts and Communication, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), under the leadership of Zhou Bin and Li Meng, teachers of the School, started the summer practice in 2021. As the first stop, we came to Aizhai, located in Jishou City, Xiangxi Prefecture, Hunan Province. Aizhai Bridge is known as Mount Everest in the international bridge field, like a giant arm on a cliff, connecting thousands of years of scenery, thousands of years of Miao Village customs and centuries of wonders of roads and bridges.
On the 11th, we came to Dehang Miao Village. From Jishou to Dehang, we had to pass through the famous highway wonder, Xiangchuan Highway known as Sky Road. This is the natural barrier of Aizhai, which is 6 kilometers long but has turned 13 turns. Scoop waterwheel, water mills, ancient ferry and boats along the coast, accompanied by the stilled building in Miao Village, are idyllic. Romantic Miao people work here at sunrise and rest at sunset. Because they are located in the remote mountains, they seldom contact with the outside world for thousands of years. It has become the most well-preserved place in Miao Villages in China, with the strongest Miao customs, and is also a fertile ground for Miao sports culture. Then, we enjoyed the distinctive performance of Miao drum and Miao song, dancing and with sonorous drums. The silverware sounded together with the pace, and the beautiful Miao clothes and dancing posture caught people’s eyes. Finally, the students also participated in the interaction of Miao dance, learned the simple steps, and deeply felt the local exotic customs, which would provide materials for future artistic creation.
