Interview with Wong How Man: Saving Culture

About my China trip:

In the summer of 2011 I went on a study abroad trip to China via the UW-River Falls China Explorers program. The trip was helped by UWRF alumni, former National Geographic photographer, and discoverer of the source of the Yangtze River: Wong How Man. He created the organization "Chinese Exploration and Research Society" to document and preserve rural China's culture and ecology. CERS had a huge hand in making my trip happen and bringing us to places off the beaten path.

Lisu Festival Pt. 1: Bull Fight

Lisu Festival Pt. 2: Crossbow Competition

Feng Village

Yunnan Snub Nosed Monkey

Lisu Hill Tribe

CERS believes progressive and equitable conservation of nature should not be achieved at the expense of indigenous peoples. This project, while preserving habitat and protecting the rare Yunnan Snub-nosed Golden Monkey has taken fully into account the traditional culture and economic realities of the Lisu people, balancing the conservation of both nature and culture. Two of the last Lisu log homes and a group of affiliated storage cabins have been saved and restored as a habitat exhibit. CERS also aims to help produce an educational film focusing on the issues facing both the Golden Monkey and the Lisu hill tribe as the villages become a new destination for tourists.

Feng Village

Feng Village is home to the Feng people. Feng is Chinese for bee and these people get their name from the bee hives they own and gather honey from. A recent Chinese bill gave money to poorer villages like that of the Feng so that they would be able to build newer, modern houses. But this came at a price. With the creation of the new houses, all of the old, traditional Feng houses had to be torn down. All but one that is. How Man and those at CERS have purchased that house in hopes of turning it into a museum and cultural haven for the Feng as they move into the modern, homogeneous life style.

Snub Nosed Monkey

CERS believes progressive and equitable conservation of nature should not be achieved at the expense of indigenous peoples. This project, while preserving habitat and protecting the rare Yunnan Snub-nosed Golden Monkey has taken fully into account the traditional culture and economic realities of the Lisu people, balancing the conservation of both nature and culture. Two of the last Lisu log homes and a group of affiliated storage cabins have been saved and restored as a habitat exhibit. CERS also aims to help produce an educational film focusing on the issues facing both the Golden Monkey and the Lisu hill tribe as the villages become a new destination for tourists.