Dianwei: Ancient village on the Tea and Horse Road

Dianwei Village is located in Dianzhong Township, central Yunnan’s E’shan Yi Autonomous County. It is a village where the Yi and Han ethnic groups live together, with the Yi people accounting for 90% of the total population.

The history of Dianwei Village can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). And the village is rich in cultural resources. There are Guangong Temple, Guanyin Pavilion, Five-arch Stone Bridge and Mountain God Temple built in the center and the surrounding areas of the village.

The layout of the village centers on the Cross Street. In the past, the street was an important station on the Tea and Horse Road, with shops and restaurants standing side by side.

Even today, the street is still the liveliest place in the village. Most of the houses are quadrangles in Dianwei Village and 145 of them were built in the Qing Dynasty(1644-1912).

Each year, local villagers hold a series of folk custom activities when there are festivals or celebrations, of which the Yi people’s Flower-drum Dance is the most featured. With a long history, the drum dance is deeply rooted in local people’s life. Nowadays, eight Flower-drum Dance teams have been established in the village, with a participation of more than 100 people.

Other activities include Dragon Dance, Lion Dance and Huadeng Opera. All are well protected and developed.

Now, Dianwei village, with its profound culture, has been inscribed into the list of Chinese Traditional Villages. 

By Li Hong and Li Wen

Editor: John Li