Human Paradise · Lijiang

Picture Story

Here, death is a public event. The deathbed, the funeral, the cremation, the "sacrificing to heaven" — each step has its protocol, each step has its people. No one dies alone, no one cries alone.

My father said: Naxi people are not afraid of death; they fear "dying badly" — with no family present, no ritual farewell, the soul with no road home. I did not understand then. Now, seeing a house full of relatives, the women at the fire pit, the clasped hands — now I understand.

Showing the Way (Dongba chanting)

Walk upward, walk high,

cross the white snow mountain, do not stop;

cross the black forest, do not be afraid.

When you see three clouds,

the white cloud is the ancestor's road —

follow the cloud;

when you see three birds,

the white bird is the ancestor's soul —

fly with the bird.

When you reach the "su" realm,

your father is there,

your mother is there,

your fields are there.

No need to labour —

the harvest comes of itself.