RITUALS OF THE DONG

摘要

The Dong people are a minority group living in mountainous areas of the Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi provinces of southern China, known architecturally for their drum towers, 'wind and rain' bridges, and 'ganlan' timber houses. This book is the first deep study connecting the architecture with the rest of their culture. Until half a century ago Dong culture lacked any form of written script, so life for most people depended on oral transmission and ritual, with crucial dependence on visual and spatial cues. The core of Ruan's thesis is a rich analysis of the Dong drum tower. Dong villages were traditionally occupied by a group sharing one surname and led by a single chief with a quasi-religious role, whose job was to make political decisions with the help of a council, deal with offenders against the law, and lead the many rituals that constitute Dong life.