Harmony with the Land

Explorations in Graphic Narratives
Song Tang
Supervisor - Justin Novak

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Harmony with the Land - Explorations in Graphic Narratives
Song Tang
Bachelor of Design - Yunnan Arts University - 2012
Supervisor - Justin Novak

A CRITICAL AND PROCESS DOCUMENTATION THESIS PAPER SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL
FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF DESIGN

EMILY CARR UNIVERSITY OF ART + DESIGN
2019
© Song Tang, 2019
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Abstract
Harmony with the land is a series of explorations of graphic
narratives based on my lived experience and received knowledge relating to my homeland of Yunnan. The narrations are
rooted deeply within the memory, culture and sensation that
inhabit my engagements with flora and fauna of Yunnan, as
well as my experience with people that are deeply connected
to this land.
As I trace my memories with the land throughout the years,
deeper and further, divergences begin to emerge. I find intricate connections between my experience and the experience
of other people. Through reading and studying ethnic materials such as literature and poetry, observing and participating in activities and events, I find similarities based on our
interactions with familiar objects that come from the land.
Whether it is a pine tree in the woods, a mushroom under the
leaves or a bush of berries.

My studio work, as well as this writing, is an oscillating process between my lived experience and received knowledge;
it is a space where intrapersonal and interpersonal dialogues
happen, all of which are based on the land and things that
have come from the land. Through these explorations of
storytelling, I hope to convey the harmonious, earth-centered
relationship of people and the land to my audience, to investigate the potential application of such storytelling experience,
and also to reconnect myself to the memory that shaped my
view of the world.
Keywords: Traditional Knowledge, Species, Graphic Narrative, Hani People, Oral History

The idea of placing my lived experience with the land in the
context of people who are also closely connected to the land
is intriguing. Among the ethnic materials I studied, there is
an epic poem about the arduous historical migration of Hani
People of Yunnan. The poem tells the stories of resilience, humility and responsiveness of the Hani people throughout the
migration. I relate myself to the land that Hani people travelled through about 1,000 years ago, as the places, animals,
plants, people in the poem have also been essential to my
lived experience. I base my explorations of graphic narratives
on the interactions and inspirations of personal memory and
the knowledge from the Hani migration poem.

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Table of Contents
Abstract ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2
Acknowledgement ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
Note to reader of writing style ------------------------------------------------------------------ 5
Introduction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
Myself ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7
The province of Yunnan ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 8
The Hani people ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9
The poem -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10
This project ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12
Research questions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13
Stylistic explorations in summer -------------------------------------------------------------- 14
Years ago, into the night ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 21
Years ago, by a fireplace in a mushroom house ---------------------------------------------- 23
Chapter 1 - The mountains of Huni-Huna --------------------------------------------------- 24
Chapter 2 - Shi-Shui lake ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 40
Chapter 3 - Ree Lou ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47
Chapter 4 - Nuoma-Ah-Me -------------------------------------------------------------------- 57
Chapter 5 - Se-Eh ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 68
Finale Chapter - In the dense forest by the Honghe river ---------------------------------- 81
Future prospective ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 98
Conclusion --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 99
Reference --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 100

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Acknowledgement
The two years of time into the Master of Design program is
one of the most memorable experiences of my life.
I own my gratitude to the lands I have set foot on, to the people that have shared with me their experience and knowledge,
to part of my memories that have stayed vivid and true.
I own my gratitude to my supervisor Justin Novak for walking
me through the stages of ideation and execution for my studio
project, and also the stages of the thesis writing.
I want to thank my parents for their selfless support for my
education. Without their support both materially and psychologically, I would not be able to complete my study here.
I want to thank all the faculty and staff who, in and out of
my curriculum structure, offered advices on studio practice,
thesis writing, campus life, facility and other aspects.
I want to thank the MDes 2019 cohort. Together we are a
community with individuals of diverse backgrounds.

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Note to Reader of Writing Style
This thesis has components of oral literature, graphic narratives, dialogues and pieces of memory.
The writing of this paper is an oscillating process between my
lived experience and received knowledge. My lived experience means the interactions I have with the flora and fauna of
my hometown; The received knowledge means the traditional
ecological knowledge I learned from a poem of the Hani ethnic group of China.
Through this thesis I explore the possibility of transmitting
traditional ecological knowledge of my hometown to other
people in a local and earthy way, to avoid representing such
knowledge using a colonial structure. I respect the ambiguity from the oral literature of the Hani peoples: I respect the
ambiguity of my fragmented memory. There are linear and
non- linear narratives in this thesis, as well as graphic works
with abstract styles. Readers should not expect the strong
argumentation of a formal thesis paper. At many points you
need to feel more than think. I choose an alternative format
for my paper, as the traditional knowledge of my hometown is
not to be confined in the rigid frame of academia.

* All the illustrations, paintings and photos in this document are original
works of Song Tang.

I am telling the stories of the land through my exploration,
and it’s about the visual poetics inspired by the species and
people of my hometown; It’s about the value of humility and
responsiveness; It’s about how you feel.

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Introduction

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Myself
Song Tang is an illustrator and graphic designer from Yunnan
province of China, he also has research experience of applied
art and design. With a bachelor’s degree of Visual Communication design from Yunnan Institute of Fine Art and a master’s degree in Cultural anthropology from Yunnan University,
Song has experience in design and visual art on one hand,
and academic training of visual culture and anthropology
on the other. Song’s educational experiences and professional practices are deeply connected to the ethnic cultures of
Yunnan (applied arts, poetry, traditional literature). He has
done research and field works of ethnic groups and heritages.
His aesthetics are largely inspired by local cultures, and some
of his works are in the context of conservation of traditional
literature and local crafts. The ecological knowledge in traditional literature is his recent point of interest.

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The Province of Yunnan
The “land” in the context of this thesis mainly refers to the
province of Yunnan, which is located in the southwest frontier area of China. The land now called Yunnan province is a
land of history, and its civilization began to emerge as early as
200 B.C. Throughout history, many sovereigns had emerged
on this land. The land of Yunnan is a place of cultural integration, owing to its unique geological location. There are multiple cultural and religious influences, including but not limited
to: Theravada (Buddhism) from southeast Asia, Mahayana
(Buddhism) from Tibet, Islam from northwest China, Taoist
from central China, Christianity from Western countries and
animistic ethnic beliefs from ethnic groups. The geological
features of this land are diverse, from north to south, the elevation descends from nearly 7,000 meters to 70 meters above
sea level. The terrain is generally mountainous with features
such as snow peaks, mountain ranges, hills, plateaus and val-

leys. With diverse typology come various types of nature resource such as minerals, timbers and forest products. Wholesome ecosystems and rich species exist on this land, and the
province is widely known for its diverse flora and fauna.
“There are 153 species of wild plants under national protection in Yunnan, accounting for 41.6% of the country; among
the vertebrates distributed in Yunnan, there are 242 species of
wild animals protected by the state, accounting for 57.1% of the
country.”
- Lee Dezhu, Chinese Academy of Sciences

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The Hani People
The Hani peoples are among the ethnic groups living in the
south of the province, while also living in adjacent countries
such as Vietnam and Myanmar. The Hani peoples in China
have a bigger population than most other ethnic groups - 1.6
million. (chinahani.com, 2010) They have been living in this
part of the province as early as the 8th century. The major
livelihood of the Hani people is husbandry and hand-craft.
The traditional Hani belief consists of ancestral worship and
animistic belief. The Hani people do not have a written language but they do have oral traditions that differ from village
to village.

“Ancient ancestors, hunting alone could not sustain their living,
gathering alone is not enough too.”
So, guided by the Maiden of the Crops,
They learned hole-digging from the mice,
Learned how to plow from boars in the woods,
and learned how to cultivate from the buffalos that enjoyed
rolling in the mud.
- “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po”

The people from my childhood were of various ethnic groups.
I have had neighbors and school mates that were from Hani
ethnicity. They were some of the most humble and hospitable
people I have ever lived with. One thing that I still remember
fondly is how they loved music. One of my Hani neighbors
was really into a kind of string instrument called “Sanxian”, he
would play the instrument and we all ended up dancing. My
Hani schoolmates were also the vocal type that did quite well
in music class. The weekly market in the county was a major
event, and people gathered together to trade and socialize.
This was the time when the Hani peddlers put on their traditional garments, especially ladies and grandmas. I can still
recall all the vibrant colors from the fabric they wore and how
they stood out from the street crowd.

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The Poem
...从前哈尼爱找平坝，
平坝给哈尼带来悲伤；
哈尼再不去找坝子了，
要找厚实的老林高高的山场；
山高林密的凹塘，
是哈尼亲亲的爹娘......
… Hani used to seek for plains,
But plans brought sorrows to Hani;
Hani no longer desire plains,
We want thick old forest in high mountains,
The lands among the mountains and the woods,
They are our dear mother and father.
- “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po”
The legacy and historical materials of the Hani peoples reflect
their centuries of harmonious relationship with the land. I
have adopted some of their literature to guide my narrative
explorations, as my lived experience has many intersections
with the places, people, culture and species in the material.
Among them are the epic poem “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po”.
“Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po”, if translated into English, would be
“the arduous migration of the Hani People”. The poem depicts
the historical migration of the Hani ethnicity dating back as
early as 1,300 years ago. The narrative of the poem is chronological, and although there are no exact dates provided for
any key points in the storytelling, anthropologists were able to
deduce a vague time range for some of the key events in the
poem. Some places mentioned in “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po”

have real-life references while others do not provide enough
evidence to research. The Simplified Chinese version of the
poem was published in 1982 by the Yunnan Nationalities
Publishing House, transcribed from the knowledge holders
that lived in Hani villages of Yunnan by a group of anthropologists and field researchers. “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po” is
passed down from generation to generation by oral tradition.
Due to the uncertainties of oral literature, throughout the
years, the poem has developed into different versions by the
knowledge holders of different villages, and there are divergences in the meaning of words, the characters and places.
The published version of this poem by the Yunnan Nationalities Publishing House is by far the most comprehensive and
complete, as the researchers have done a great deal of field
work by visiting Hani knowledge holders and performers in
different parts of the province.
“Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po” consists of seven major chapters,
and the narrative goes chronologically and geographically
in the sequence of the migration, from the place of origin
that is the southern part of Tibet to the final destinations in
southeast Asia and China, with a total of six major way points
that were recorded in the poem. The narrative is half-realistic
and half mythical, the events are almost supernatural. One of
the most notable threads in the narrative is the relationship
between the Hani peoples and the species of the lands during
the migration.

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This Project
The project I am undertaking at Emily Carr University is a
series of exploratory graphic narratives based on my lived
experience and received knowledge of the flora and fauna of
my hometown, Yunnan province of China. Through depicting
native species and traditional ecological wisdom in an poetic
way, I wish to convey the harmonious relationship of co-existence and mutuality to a diverse audience. I hope my storytelling explorations will bring to the audience a contemplation
on their own relationship with the land.
The project is also an exploration of graphic narrative strategies that could be used to preserve traditional knowledge
from literature and oral history. Creating the possibility of
alternative ways to transmit the knowledge to people than
the conventional, colonial ways (Latin names for species, data
and Infographics, scientific illustration, etc). The traditional
knowledge from this project comes from the poetry of the
Hani peoples of Yunnan and also my lived experience. My
explorations seek to convey the knowledge while retaining its
local characteristics (places, idioms, dialects, etc)
“Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po” guides me through my narrative
explorations. The poem has plentiful content of traditional
ecological knowledge regarding the flora and fauna from
Hani people’s traditional territories. The species, places and
ethnic groups in the poem happen to be an important part
of my lived experience as well, so my exploration is based on
the knowledge from the poem and my own memory. It is an
oscillating process between Hani people’s interactions with
species and my own experience with the species.

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with the poem as guide, specific questions to consider...

- how do the graphic narratives correspond with the narrative structure
of the poem?
- the poem is lengthy, how do you select the content that guide your
narrative explorations, what is your criteria of selection?
- how do you place your lived experience with the traditional knowledge
reflected in th poem?

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Stylistic Explorations in Summer
I began to look for the places mentioned in this poem with
their actual spots on the map, some of them are the places
I grew up. The migration all-together seemed to be a linear
process, but side stories happened at every major stop of the
journey. They are rich and dramatic, they are suitable materials for narrative explorations.

Huni - huna

Shi-Shui Lake

Ree Lou

Nuoma-Ah-Me

Se-Eh
Goo ha

Hong he

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I spent time in the summer reading “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po”.
During my reading and researching of the places, characters
and species in the poem, I found out that the flora and fauna
mentioned, many of them I have experience and personal
stories. I illustrated some of them to trace back my memories
with the land. For me they belong to the shady forest and
meadows I visited so many times, as well as to the mysterious
stories in the poem.
. Bamboo
. Fern
. Ficus

The end of poem brought me to the final destination of the
Hani migration - Honghe county. This is where the Hani
people and some other ethnic groups called home till this day.
l also left there part of my childhood memory.

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By studying the poem, I gained new insights of the relations
of the Hani people and their living environment, such as how
they choose their traditional land in favorable geological locations, and how the terrace paddy field works as an ecosystem
that sustains itself through the circulation of water.

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I was also fascinated by the endless terrace paddy fields with
their beautiful curves. When viewed from above, they look
like a topographic elevation map, but in this case it is not the
machines, it’s hundreds of years of people’s responsiveness to
the mountains that produced these lines, they are the curves
of hardship and resilience.
The force of the mountains is massive, and people would not
go against them.

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It seems to me, there is a connection between the curves of
the paddy fields and the resilient characteristics of the Hani
people, which is flowing throughout the poem.
I explored the idea of combining curves of the fields with
some major events in the poem. The events consist of plague,
wildfire, wars and reconciliation. This exploration is my
attempt to visualize the inner struggles of the Hani people
during the migration, with visual motifs from their traditional land - Honghe terrace paddy fields.

association in characters?

resilience
holism
humility
migration
responsiveness
fluidity
inclusiveness
flow

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starve
plague
war
reconcile

fire

...

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years ago,
into the night (a preface)
The jeep slowly travelling down the meandering road in the
valley, the road seems narrower as the day gets darker, on
one side of the road is a river, on the other side is a mountain. We do not see much traffic coming our way, nor do we
see many people walking. Sitting at the co-driver seat of the
jeep, I mindlessly listening to the pop songs on the radio and
watching the fog-engulfing mountains far away, it is a day
without the sun, the mountain ranges in the distance all look
greyish green, occasionally there are little huts popping out of
the corner of the road, they all covered with grass on the roofs
and people seem gone. The air in the jeep is cozy, smells a bit
like chips, I chat with the people in the back seat that haven’t
fallen asleep, we are talking about music in the radio. Outside,
the day is darker and the fog begin to rise.
It is almost six in the afternoon, we are still travelling on the
same valley road. The valley is getting narrower, we have the
same river on our left, the mountains are close by on both
side of the road, gradually, I do not see the mountains, I can
only see cliffs if looking out of the window. The river on the
left seems calm. At times, you see headlights in the distance, a
car or two would pass us by.
We need to rest for a while before continuing on our journey.
My uncle finds a beach full of pebbles to the left of the road,
he gently pulls the jeep into the beach by the river. We turned
off the music as he turned off the engine, suddenly there is
silence inside the vehicle. we rolled down the window on our
sides to let in some fresh air, the cool, breezy afternoon air
begin to drive out the warm smell of chips inside, the cozy,

lazy atmosphere inside the vehicle is disrupted, we suddenly
feel connected to the world outside the jeep, after hours of
travelling. It is so quiet all around, the river is murmuring by
our side, occasionally, I hear the faint engine sound of cars
passing by, and everything is quiet again. We are alone by the
riverside, we are resting in the middle of nowhere.
I get off the jeep, walking to the side of the river. The day is
getting dark, and it’s even darker in the valley. I watched the
river flowing calmly, looking up, the mountains are all bathing in fog, the fog goes way up to the overcast sky. At some
point, it begins to drizzle, the moist air is filled with tiny water
drops, they are touching my skin, chilling and refreshing.
“Nothing is going on here” I talk to my cousin.
The daylight is slipping away, the valley is getting quieter. It
seems that everything is at still. The silence fills every corner
of the valley and we almost become part of it. It is somewhat
isolating and I feel uneasy, I suddenly have the urge to disrupt
this moment, like throwing a rock into a pond covered with
duckweed.
“Wo-wo-wo--” I cried out.
“Woooo--” my cousin does it too, so are my uncle and sister.
We cry, we sing, we curse, we let these things out of us the
way we want.
I cried out as loud as I can, then I stop.
My echo disappears quickly, I lost them in the treetops that
is soaked in the evening fog. The silence returns to the valley,
more powerful than ever, I can almost hear the sound of the
drizzle, or is it?
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I fix my eyes on the forest across the river, they are darkish
green, the crowns are reflecting the pale light of the day. They
are still, the branches are still, the leaves are still, only the fog
is moving.
Suddenly, I hear something.
It seems come from the woods. I hear it again, it is from the
trees across the river, it must be a bird or something, I think
to myself.
I hear the calling again and again, I know it is there, somewhere in the dark of the woods, somewhere in the fog, but I
don’t know exactly where, and what it is. After a while, I hear
the sounds coming from other part of the woods, they are
more distant, buried in fog. I don’t know if they are communicating, I don’t know if they communicate, I only know that
deep in these woods there are something else besides silence.
The daylight is almost gone, the forests are soaked in a dark
bluish grey, night fog is obscuring the trees. I keep hearing
the sounds coming from different parts of the woods, I never
know what they are, but I know they are there somewhere.

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Years ago,
by a fireplace in a mushroom house

瞧啊, 今晚的月光这样明亮, 蘑菇房里的人们像过六月
年一样欢腾。
我们正合唱一唱, 先祖怎样出世,
我们正合讲一讲, 先祖走过什么路程,
每支歌都是先祖传下来的,
是先祖借我的舌头把它传给后代子孙!

Behold, tonight the moon shines bright, people in this house are
as merry as if it is festival time.
It is the right time that we tell our stories of creation,
It is the right time that we trace the roads our ancestors once
travelled,
Each and every song is the heritage of our ancestors,
Me, as the knowledge holder, will pass down the stories to our
off springs.
- “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po” Preface

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Chapter 1

The Mountains of Huni-Huna
在那远古的年代, 天边有个叫虎尼虎那的地方,
红红的石头像天火燃烧, 黑黑的石头像黑夜笼罩,
奇怪的巨石成千上万, 垒成了神奇巍峨的高山。
Long, long time ago, there is a place called“Huni-huna”far, far
away.
Red, red stones like fire burning towards the sky.
Dark, dark stones like night engulfing the world.
Countless strange stones piling up.
Formed a mysterious and majestic mountain.
- “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po” Chapter 1

Huni - huna

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Introduction
The first chapter of the poem describes the origin of the
Hani peoples, it begins by describing the rugged landscape
called Huni-huna (Land of red and black stones), a place of
gigantic mountain ranges, a place where the first people are
created. Hani scholar Shee-Jun-Chiao, who is specialized in
the research of the sociology of the Hani society, worked with
anthropologists to deduce the possible geological location of
“Huni-huna”. (Shee, 1984) The place in the poem is possibly
on the Tibetan plateau today, around where the mountain
range Bayan Har is located.
The poem has described the mountains of Huni-huna as
formidable, with red and black stones, desolate and mysterious. The mountains are the first things that are created on the
earth, by the gods of heaven and earth. Gradually, there are
rivers, follows by the creation of species like tigers, deer, boars
and birds.
One thing that is intriguing is the mentioning of sisal and
banana plants in this chapter of the poem.
麂子在剑麻丛里啃草, 刺猪在芭蕉林里游荡。
Muntjacs are grazing in the sisals, porcupines are wandering
among the banana plants.
The climate of Tibetan plateau is too harsh for these two
tropical species to exist. So why are they in the poem? It could
be the divergence that emerged during the generational passing on of the poem, or it could simply be the personal touch
of the knowledge holder. For me, it is s sign that this place
called “Huni-huna” is semi-mythological as the way points
mentioned in the later parts of the poem.
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Narrative Exploration
The poem begins by describing the mysterious place of Hani
origin - “Huni Huna” in a dark and exaggerated manner, the
narratives about colors and shapes provide me with a very
rugged and bold visual impression,The narrative of this part
is filled with strong visual motifs about shapes and colors, I’ve
adopted them into my visual depiction:
1, the black stones and the red stones.
2, majestic mountains with fog and cloud engulfing the tops.
3, the rivers that runs alongside the mountains.

My instinct with a world that is lost in history is like black
and white photography, stripped of redundant information such as colors. The poem gives me the information of
black and red colors in stones, the colors form such a strong
contrast. The impression of black and red colors from nature, from my memory, belongs to the soil and the rocks of
Yunnan. The red soil is the most iconic type of soil in my
province, and the black stones are those forest of stones that
eroded by water, they are typical Karst landforms. In my
depiction, I adopted the natural features of my memory to the
mysterious place called Huni Huna.

river flowing east

red stone

black stone
&
strange rock

foggy mountain
&
cloud and fog

red soil
Karst landform
&
stone forest

cliffs of Nujiang

Lang Cang river

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Shi-Shui Lake

Chapter 2

Shi-Shui Lake
七十七双眼睛四方看, 七十七只手指指点点,
大湖边山岭连着山岭, 密林里野兽见人不慌。
七十七双耳朵一齐听, 七十七双脚走遍山冈,
大湖静得像睡着的小娃, 山林把大风拦在远方。
Seventy-seven pairs of eyes looking around, seventy-seven
hands pointing around,
By the lake, mountain after mountain, the beasts in the woods
do not panic when they see people.
Seventy-seven pairs of ears listening around, seventy-seven
pairs of feet walking the ground,
The lake is quiet like a sleeping baby, the forests shield the lake
from gale.
- “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po” Chapter 2

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Introduction
According to the end of the first chapter, the Hani ancestors
departed Huni-Huna because of the declination of food resources. The people travelled down south to the Shi-Shui lake,
which is located at the area around the boundary of Tibet and
Sichuan. The lake was located in the heart of the mountains,
surrounding by mountain ranges from all sides, so the wind
could not disrupt the tranquility of the water.
The Hani people were described as hunter-gatherers at this
stage, and they begin to develop the idea of sustainable food
resource in this part of the poem. For instance, the hunters
killed the mother boar and brought its litters back to the settlements; A female ancestor called Che-Nu came up with the
idea of collecting the seeds of wild plants and sow them into
fertile soil , thus the Hani began the practice of taming and
cultvation.The stories reflect the emerging practice of sustainable agriculture among the Hani people.
The later part of the chapter takes a down turn for the fate of
the Hani People. The hunters set fire to the woods in order to
besiege the preys, the fire spread out of control and destroyed
a large portion of the forests surrounding the lake. As a result,
the water of the lake deteriorated and reduced. The Hani
could not sustain their agriculture, they eventually had to set
off to find another habitable land.

烧过七天七夜,天地变了模样。
老林是什虽的阿妈,大湖睡在老林下方,
这下大风吼着来了,黄沙遮没了太阳,
大湖露出了湖底,哈尼惹下了祸殃。
The fire that lasted seven days and nights, changed the landscape.
The old forest was the mother of Shisui lake, the lake was sleeping at the foot of the woods.
Now the gale comes roaring, sand is obscuring the sun.
The water is leaving the lake, Hani peoples have caused a disaster.
- “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po” Chapter 2
The end of the story reflects the consequence of excess human
interference to the land - an ecological disaster. In the poem,
the Hani people acknowledged the consequence as due to
their irresponsible actions of hunting, the acknowledgement
contributed to the humility in their relationship with the land.

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Narrative Exploration
In this chapter, the stories reflect a growing consciousness
of Hani people regarding the environment and resources
on their land. There are activities regarding the sustainable
development of food resources such as taming and cultivating, there is also the consequence of irresponsible behavior
towards the land. The narrative of this chapter is more dramatic than the last chapter, more species are involved, multiple events are happening in the environment surrounding
the lake. I wanted to test out a non-linear way of telling the
stories. The lake is the center of the Hani land in this chapter,
it is also the center to all activities. I started with the depiction
of the general environment surrounding the lake. This is supposed to be the main thread of the visual narrative, so I put
the image of the lake in the center of composition.

lake as centerpiece
lake as context

The key activities in this chapter such as hunting, taming and
cultivating were happening in the context of the lake and
forest, they were happening at various spots around the lake,
concurrently or not. I decided to use a non-linear method to
do the visual narrative.
The general composition looks like all the motifs are put
together randomly, but they are in the same context. There are
details I adopted in order to maintain some visual integrity of
the narrative, for example, the tone of the illustrations in grey
scale with human characters in red; The depictions of vegetation in most panels with the same style.

hunting

taming

Shi-sui
cultivating

gathering

42

drama
visual integrity

43

around
the
lake
things
are
happening

44

concurrent events
nonlinear

45

46

Chapter 3

Ree Lou

Ree Lou

“哈尼人啊,我的儿孙!
我们再不用到处飘游, 再不用摘野果充饥肠!
快牵起我的手, 去看马尾一样耷下的谷穗, 去看芦苇秆
一样壮的荞麦。
哈尼的儿孙们, 能吃苦才得甜。”
“my fellow Hani, my sons and grandsons!
our days of wandering around are over, we are no longer dependent on gathering wild fruit!
please hold my hands, let us go see the grains hanging like horsetails;
let us go see the buckwheat as strong as reed.
my fellow sons and grandsons, sweet will come after bitter
work.”
- “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po” Chapter 3

47

Introduction
In this chapter, the Hani people departed Shi Shui lake area
and entered a land called Ree Luo (Land of pouring rain).
According to the migration map, the land is probably located
in the area of West Sichuan Plateau. It is the transitional area
between Tibet and Sichuan, a typical “stair down” in topography with an obvious descent of elevation. From this point, the
Hani people continued south till they reached southeast Asia.

In the poem, the land of Ree-Lou is a meadow situated on the
side of a mountain. Hani people discovered suitable ways of
building villages and cultivating fields on the hillside. They
began to cultivate terrace paddy fields in big quantities, this
form of agriculture became the iconic form of production
among Hani people, and is still widely adopted till this day.
The terrace paddy field of Hani people is a system of water
circulation, a fully developed example of such system integrated forest, paddy fields, village and river.

forest

village

terrace paddy field

river

48

Narrative Exploration
The traditional ecological knowledge in the terrace paddy field systems is a very important part in the agricultural
practice of the Hani people. Traditionally, Hani people would
schedule their daily and yearly events based on the activities
in the field.
The Hani people schedule their agricultural activities based
on the behaviors of the species. By observing the seasonal
behaviors of animal and plant species, they deduced a rough
time table to plow, sow or reap in the paddy fields. It is an
indigenous calendar. I decided to base my visual narrative on
the species activities in the paddy field system.
From another traditional Hani poem - “Husbandry in Four
Seasons” I found detailed descriptions of species activities in
four seasons of agricultural production, the poem covered the
behaviors of the species and the phenomenon of the climates,
during ten months of productions in the paddy fields. The
interrelations of the species are intriguing, all the mentioned
species are in the same context, as in the ecological system of
the terrace paddy fields. I sorted out the species according to
the habitats in the ecosystem - paddy fields, forest and village.

河坝里先发芽的是什么树?
河坝里先发芽的是杨柳树。
高山上先冒头的是什么草?
高山上先冒头的是蕨蕨草。
寨边樱桃开花，
沟边索可玛依（索可玛依：七里香花。）飘香，
山顶妥底玛依（妥底玛依：红杜鹃花。）怒放，
河坝攀枝花染红树梢。
what trees sprout first in the river valley?
willow trees sprout first in the river valley.
what grass germinate first on the mountain top?
ferns germinate first on the mountain top.
cherry flowers bloom near the village,
by the brook, Soke-Mayi (orange jasmines) sending its fragrance,
on the mountain top, Todi-Mayi (red rhododendrons) blooming
like fire,
in the river valley, bombax flowers colouring the tree crowns
red.
- “Husbandry in Four Seasons”

49

So the species of the paddy field system, is what I based my exploration on.

50

The interactions of the species are intriguing, many of them are related in one way or another,
as in the ecology of the terrace paddy fields.

51

As a playful attempt to enrich the experience of the narrative,
I wanted to adopt material practice as an aid. Inspired by the
style of the second narrative exploration, I thought about
transform the species into separated but connected pieces.
The most durable and natural materials I am familiar with is
the wood, after inquiring with faculty members, I decided the
laser cutting shop on campus is a cost-effective way of cutting
curvy shapes and engraving delicate patterns.

I wanted people to interact with the pieces while learning the
knowledge of the land, so it is important that the material be
light and easy to manage. Plywood turned out to be a decent
choice, so I did the pattern design of all the species and put
them to the cutting machine.

600 MM
Cutting
Engraving

900 MM

52

material practice
prototype

interrelation of things

53

correspond with the poem
playful reading
54

55

56

Nuoma-Ah-Me

Chapter 4

Nuoma-Ah-Me

神赐的诺马好地上,哈尼又把蘑菇房兴建。
惹罗的蘑菇房盖到诺马,先祖又把新的式样增添。
两层的房子又多建一层,矮矮的耳房站在旁边,
房顶修成平平的晒台。
老人爱去烤太阳,
小娃爱去摔大跤,
女人爱去做针线。
in the land of Nuoma bestowed by gods, Hani once again built
their houses.
From Ree-Lou to Nuoma, the ancestors updated the style of
their homes.
One more floor is added to the two-story houses, with additional rooms on both sides,
and the roofs are flat platforms to dry the crops.
Seniors liked to go there in sunny days,
Kids liked to practice wrestling there,
women liked to do their embroidery there.
- “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po” Chapter 4

57

Introduction
Hani continued to settle in Ree Lou until a major plague
struck the place, causing major loss of life and damage to the
agricultural system. The people had no choice but leaving Ree
Lou to find another suitable home. They travelled down south
into the valleys of south Sichuan, and found a fertile land
between two rivers which they called “Nuoma-Ah-Me”.
Hani people thrived in the land of Nuoma-Ah-Me, their
population grew steadily and new villages were built. In this
relatively steady period of migration, the Hani people had the
opportunities to refine their agricultural systems and homes.
An iconic style of architecture started to emerge during this
period of time - The Tu Zhang house (house made of rammed
clay adobes). A Tu Zhang house is made from materials entirely from the land - bricks from a mixture of clay and straws,
and timbers were used as pillars and beams. A typical Hani
village consisted of tens or hundreds of Tu Zhang houses, they
offered descent durability and cover from the elements.
Hani peoples at this stage typically build their villages on the
slope of hills, in order to leave the fertile plains at foothills for
cultivation. A The villages on the hill slope utilized the receding terrain. As altitude develops, the architectures took the
form that resembles the terrace paddy fields.
http://image.naic.org.cn/uploadfile/2018/0102/1514862290940255.jpg

58

A village full of Tu Zhang houses is a tight knit community.
Because of the grading terrains which the households are
located, there is barely enough room to build a yard or a
garden. To resolve the space issue, a Tu Zhang house typically
has a flat rooftop that served as a place for daily activities. In
the village, the households are so closely built together that a
lot of communal spaces are created through the connection of
the rooftops.

terrace paddyfield system
interspecies relations
community (village)
shared space
interpersonal relations

59

Narrative Exploration
The village full of Tu Zhang houses is a major inspiration
for my narrative exploration. The layout of the community
symbolizes the ecology between each member of the village.
The harmony with the land in this sense is not limited to the
relations between human and other species but also included
interpersonal relations between the members. The forming of
collective spaces, the sharing of collective values, the mutual
trust is reflected through the daily activities of Hani people
that happened on the rooftops.
I created a miniature version of the village through 3-D modeling, the models are then integrated into a 2D digital illustration. In the poem there are descriptions of people’s activities
on the rooftop platforms, I recreated some of the activities.
The narratives happened in a day of the autumn season,
people are doing their daily routines on the platforms of the
houses, the kids are chasing each other, women are doing
embroidery works, men are putting the grains to dry, seniors
are enjoying the sunshine. I tried to put the emphasis on
people’s connections in a family or a neighborhood context.
Viewing from above, all the activities are happening simultaneously, each character is accompanied by a short comic
strip - a close-up of what they are doing. There is no sequence
as which comic strip for the reader to begin with, there are
multiple entry points to begin the narrative.

60

61

62

layout of architecture
people’s movement
people’s relations

63

64

65

高高的房子新落成，
谷雀就来祝贺寨人，
扇动着棕片般的翅膀，
来把勤劳的主人叫唤；
花花的喜鹊也来搭伴，
领着小儿搬来旁边。

shortly after the houses were finished,
the sparrows came to congratulate the people in the village,
flapping their brown coloured wings,
and calling their industrious masters;
the colourful magpies were also coming together,
lived next to the houses with their children.
- “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po” Chapter 4
66

67

Chapter 5
Se-Eh

难怪今日哈尼的在处，
三月的街子都有一个，
先祖赶过的色厄街子，
是哈尼三月街子的亲娘。
In the lands of Hani everywhere,
the Market of March is preserved,
the street market of Se-Eh,
is the mother of the Hani market.
- “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po” Chapter 5

Se-Eh
68

Introduction
The Hani people departed Nuoma-Ah-Me because of warfare . They continued their migration down south until they
reached the land of Se-Eh, a land by a great lake which is
adjacent to the city of Dali today. In the land of Se-eh, they
coexisted with the local ethnic group called “Ha-Eh”.
The most notable activity for both the Hani and Ha-Eh peoples in the poem, was the Street Market of March. The lively
marketplace happens in spring every year, where people from
nearby villages got together in the village of Ha-Eh to trade
local specialities. The merchants filled the streets and they
were of great variety. The Hani people hence kept this tradition of spring market for their own tradition.
The street market of Se-Eh is preserved till this day in the city
of Dali. It is famous throughout the province, for its history,
local specialities and festival events.
The street market in Dali is part of my childhood memory, I
can still recall all the chaos of the crowded market place - the
yelling, the haggling, music from cheap speakers and odors
from food, spices and herbal medicine. Many of the merchandises were things from the land - local species of plants, animals or fungus that served mostly food or medical purpose.
These species came with names which were bestowed by the
locals, these names reflected the traditional knowledge that
related to the species. From experiences of seeing, touching,
smelling, tasting and hearing, the local people named these
species based on their characteristics.

69

Narrative Exploration
The Market of March is a market of raw food materials and
traditional medicine gathered from the land . Among the
popular food materials were the wild mushrooms. Fresh or
dried, they are delicacies and natural healing materials. The
forest of Yunnan is home to various types of fungus, there is
rich traditional knowledge regarding these species . As a local
kid, I had the pleasure of receiving such knowledge, from
both seniors of my community and my own practice. The
knowledge is cultural, biological and mythical. The practice
of mushroom foraging and treating connected me to other
species of the woods, as well as the knowledge and experience
of the seniors.

Here I have three types of fungus that are native to the region
of Dali, and were also important in my foraging experience.
From my stories and experience around those species , I wanted to depict the traditional knowledge that happens within.

my foraging experience
(lived experience)

Se-Eh market speciality

local knowledge, slangs, tales
(received knowledge)

70

> Thelephora
> Boletus
> Albuminosa

71

72

73

I found Ganbajun in pine forest

74

tear
them
small

75

见手青

杂菌

黄
妞
头

76

77

78

79

80

Finale Chapter

In The Dense Forest by the Honghe River

Hong he

81

从前哈尼爱找平坝，
平坝给哈尼带来悲伤。
哈尼再不找坝子了，
要找厚厚的老林高高的山场。
山高林密的凹塘，
是哈尼亲亲的爹娘。
Hani used to seek for plains,
plains brought sorrow to Hani.
Hani no longer desire plains,
we want thick old forest in the mountains.
lands among the mountains and the trees,
are our dear mother and father.
- “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po” Chapter 6

82

Introduction
The Hani peoples departed Se-Eh to avoid potential conflict
with Ha-Eh - another major ethnic group. They continued
down south until they reached the southern part of what is
now Yunnan Province.
They got lost in the tropical rainforest by the Honghe river.
Tes-Si, the female leader of the Hani peoples, was offering
guidance by a silver pheasant (a tropical bird). The bird used
its feathers to mark a trail, Tes-si and the rest of Hani peoples
followed the bird. They went through many mountains and
discovered a lush tropical valley to the south of Honghe river.
With plenty of old forest, clear running water and species of
animals, the Hani peoples called it home till this day.

83

权威的戚姒领着哈尼，
the honorable Tes-Si lead the Hanis,

84

走遍了江外所有大山，
travelled all the mountains
to the south of the river,

85

处处都有好在的歇处，
there were suitable sites everywhere,

86

戚姒要找最好的地方。
Tes-Si was Look for the best place
to call home.

87

one day, the migrating people stop at a hillside,
to take a rest in the woods.

88

a silver pheasant descends from the
trees,
walking gently towards the people.

89

the silver pheasant walks to Tes-Si,
shaking its feathery wings.
a feather as soft as the cloud,
lands in the palm of Tes-Si.

90

the silver pheasant rise its thin, red feet,
with every step, it shakes its wings.

91

feathers that are bright and white,
shining like silver.

92

a trail that shines like the silver is forming,
in the dense forests of the mountains.

93

Tes-Si follows the silver pheasant,
through the tall grass,

94

and past the high cliffs,
she discovers an enchanting land.

95

一寨的亲人啊，
碗里的米酒已经喝干，
变暗的火塘不能再向，
明天还有要紧的活计要干，
各人应当回到自己的蘑菇房......
my dear villagers,
we’ve emptied the last bowl of rice wine,
we’ve added the last wood to the fire pit,
tomorrow we still have important work to do,
everyone should return to their home now...
- “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po” Chapter 6

96

we’ve come to the end of the poem, as well as the end of migration,
but the stories of Hani peoples are much more than this. For me,
the stories with the land are plenty and I’ve got a lot to explore.

97

Future Prospective
I am thinking of the ways of distribution for my stories, such
as self-publishing platforms or crowdfunding platforms. The
works could be digital or print-based. Whatever mediums
my stories employ, there will always be consideration of the
relations between containers and content.
I will continue my explorations of graphic narratives by
adopting the oscillating process to my future works. There
are plenty of traditional literature (folklore, mythologies,
songs, etc) from my hometown, featuring the places, species
and things I’m familiar with. The narratives will be open and
inviting, prompting the readers to put their own experience of
traditional knowledge into the oscillating process.

98

Conclusion
The traditional ecological knowledge of Hani peoples come
from their interactions with the species of the land. Such
knowledge is passing down by oral traditions. This can also
be said for some other ethnic groups in Yunnan province.
The oral tradition is ambiguous in nature. For one story, each
knowledge holder may have their own interpretations. Some
cultural concepts in “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po” have lost their
meanings in the contemporary world, some are difficult to be
translated into English. The ecological knowledge from my
lived experience are from the seniors of my family, through
our conversations and their teachings, and similar to the
knowledge of the Hani peoples, there are a lot of concepts
that are hard to be translated into English, or even Mandarin
Chinese. The traditional knowledge from “Hani Ah Pe Chun
Po Po” and my lived experience are not to be fitted into a
colonial container, they are more based on experience than
reasoning. My exploration is an oscillating process between
the memories of the Hani peoples and mine, the spontaneity
and intuition I had for the narrative explorations are the
fruits of this oscillating process, and the abstract styles of my
graphic works with the ambiguities in the Hani poem and my
fragmented memory. My narrative exploration is an attempt
to create poetic ways of transmitting traditional ecological
knowledge, breaking free from the colonial ways of knowledge displaying (museum, encyclopedia, etc) which based on
didacticism and reasoning.

on every entity of the land, and the intricate relations between
things, animate or inanimate, perceivable or not, could have
the key role in the storytelling.
For the graduate show, my opportunity will be to present the
narrative explorations to a broad audience, it will be part of
my explorations to see how participants respond to the stories. The curatorial design of the graduate show will be open
and inviting, encouraging the participants to bring their own
stories to the narrative, so they can have their own oscillating
process with “Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po”.

I am pleased to be able to tell the stories of the species and
their connections with people, and I am honored to have
“Hani Ah Pe Chun Po Po” of the Hani peoples to guide my
explorations. Through reading the poem and tracing my lived
experience, I realized that the harmony with the land depends
99

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