Fishermen dedicated to bull boat dances. Photo by Tian Xiaotian

From a humble and miserable toil to the source of proud for cultural uniqueness

While Lhasa is rising as one of new hot tourism destinations in the nation, more and more tourists also pour into Junba Village for sightseeing. This also brings Junba villagers a brand-new way – dancing with bull boat on back to demonstrate their unique culture while making money.

Recognized as national intangible cultural heritage, Bull Boat Dance is performed to pay tribute to bull boat – the time-honored water traffic vehicle in Tibet and the fishing vehicle hold dear by Junba villagers. The dancer, with 40-kilogram bull boat on back, will dance to shake his legs and strike boat rail with paddles in lively and haunting rhythm.

In old Tibet, to perform Bull Boat Dance to amuse feudal lord is nothing but a miserable mission for dancer. Today, Bull Boat Dance is the unique art performance to celebrate harvest and express joy in Junba village. Zha Sang became the leading dancer in the village after retired from his fishing career. Whenever he performs Bull Boat Dance to audience, he is totally immersed in its magic rhythm. The old inferior complex which has troubled him for long decades ago is totally absent from his face and mind now. As the sole inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage, the old man revealed proudly that, “I perform upon the cordial invitation of many tourists and will be rewarded with four or five hundred RMB for each performance.” In addition, he is granted with RMB5000 as living subsidy by the nation each year. Each year, the village will deliver the wonderful dance to ten thousand of audience.

From a closed and impoverished fishing village to an open and blessed modern village

The old fishing-reliant tough days have become past history to Junba Village. It is well known that fishing is a dangerous and highly seasonal activity in the Yaruzampbo River. Before the reform and opening-up policy, fishers had to lead a homeless and dangerous life along the Yaruzampbo River. Some fishers even lost their life in the occasionally treacherous river. Besides, fishing also became a less rewarded activity along the Yaruzampbo River, whose ecological balance was broken by the immoderate fishing.

In order to protect the endangered eco-environment along the Yaruzampbo River, Lhasa Municipal Party Committee and Lhasa Government have decided to proclaim a fishing ban for key drainage basins as part of efforts to make Lhasa into an eco-friendly city. In order to help Junba villagers make the best out of what are available in the village, local government help them to engage in fishpond cultivation, and encourage villagers carry out households handcraft business as sifters, boxes, tea bags, zanba bags and boats with cattle hide.

At present, more than 60 villagers are involved in such art craft creation in the village, with more than 30 categories of goods sold to Lhasa, Shannan, Shigatse as well as overseas markets in USA, Canada and Belgium, etc. Handcraft alone will contribute more than RMB0.7 million of revenue to Junba Village each year.

“There are six craftsmen in my family”, noted Ci Ren, the best handcraft creator in the village who also has longer involvement in the trade than his peers, “with our skills, we can earn RMB0.13 million per year as a whole, or RMB20 thousand per capital. We lead a highly sufficient life. Besides, our savings also give us great sense of security.”

As the old saying goes that “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”, the booming tourism sector does bring bustling crowds and busy flows of goods to Junba Village, where people do not rely on fishing solely for existence. Along with more opportunities opened in traffic and fish breeding sectors in the village, people there have led an affluent life. Cars are not rare things in the village, as among 82 households in the village, about 20 are car owners now. With diversified sources of income, the old fishing village is now the home of many newly building high rises. With convenient access to broad roads in vicinity, the once impoverished fishing village becomes an affluent one known to places far and wide.