The cool subtropical breeze brings relief in the sultry evening. The sun seems to be sinking into the mountain range in Myanmar. And as the stars begin to twinkle faintly in the darkening sky. bells toll from the church in the upper reaches of the village, in tune with the melodious hymns. I have heard various hymns sung by different ethnic groups when I trekked along the border of Southwest China. In these remote areas. 1 could understand their profound meaning and feeling by watching thc singers" eyes instead of listening to the words. I preserved a cassette tape for 10 years, which recorded the sound of fierce surging waves in the monsoon. The thunder drowned out everything in the valley of the Dulongjiang River at the foot of Dandanlika Mountain. Nobody can understand the tape's sound but I can distinguish a lout-part music note among the rolling waves. To visit the small church. I wobbled forward on a suspension bridge rocking wildly over the thundering river. The hymn singers were local people of the Derung ethnic group who were dressed simply, but neatly. It took them a whole day of walking to get to church every weekend. Here is a village of Lahu ethnie group in Lancang Region of Southwest China's Yunnan Province where the people were preparing for the 2003 Christmas Day.
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