The city's greenery is epitomized by Qingxiu Mountain that dominates the city's southern skyline. Covered in lush forest, there are many hidden cultural gems in it's midst. Somewhere near the base of the hill there is a small park within a park. At its center are statues representing all the local ethnic minorities in Guangxi; from the Zhuang to the Vietnamese, they are all there. The statues depict the minorities in their traditional costumes; some wearing hats, some in long dresses, some in baggy trousers. Yet the grey statues made it difficult to appreciate the beautiful differences and colors the real outfits could, and that was emphasized when a young lady wearing traditional Zhuang minority dress appeared. The dress she wore was shamelessly bright pink with orange, blue and purple trimmings. The colors were even starker against the green of the forest; the variety of the vibrant colors reminded me of the colorful kilts worn in Scotland. It was great to see these traditional clothes still being worn in the midst of a quickly modernizing China. Further testament to diversity in China came at Yiling Cavern where groups of people in all manner of costume greeted us with song, music, dance, games and traditional rice wine. Unique songs rang out over the countryside, bright costumes dazzled and music filled the air as tourists jumped bamboo branches, hoisted buckets of wood and marveled at the dancers – albeit a show, but it was celebrating the ethnic diversity of China. Apparently each song and dance had a story but it was lost in translation… that said it was still a treat to behold, and just goes to show that variety really is the spice of life. The majority of the tourists in the group were Han Chinese (with me as the possible only exception) and they were all very eager to learn more and taste a bit of ethnic minority life. I think this is only a good thing, it may have only been a show and not the 'genuine article', but what would these performers be doing if it wasn't for their being different from the norm? They have learnt skills and customs that are so diverse and interesting that entertaining tourists has become a viable and sustainable way to make a living. This would not be possible if it were not for the Han Chinese interest and respect for minority culture, and it would not be possible if minority culture was being assimilated into traditional Han culture.

Jumping bamboo is one of many interesting minority traditions.

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