Guizhou the Region
Demographically Guizhou is one of China's most diverse provinces. Minority groups make up almost 40% of the population with a concentration of minorities in the rural areas especially the south east of the province. Both Dong and Miao groups originate in Guizhou province in the southwest of China. Located mainly in the remote mountainous south east of the province, the lifestyle, for those who remain in the villages, is one of subsistence agriculture.
The total population of this province is just under 40million of which 16million are ethnic minorities. While economic forces have seen a population shift to the booming cities, the terrain, which is mountainous and isolated has helped to preserve much of the ethnic culture within the villages tucked into the mountains.
Each group has its own cultural traditions and within those traditions each village has its own variants in song, in dress, and in dance. While the lifestyle remains rural and agricultural, the last 30 years have seen many changes caused by China’s economic boom. The movement of young people to the booming cities, the arrival of satellite dishes, mobile phones and tourists all affect the lifestyle of these communities.
While the music and dance of the villages are still known and loved by the young people, nowadays karaoke can be heard alongside the cicada songs.