Tenth International Conference on The Image

Abstract

We focus on how “Miao” imagery is used in Chinese ethnic tourism to promote Miao people as a model “happy minority,” whose identity is inseparable from the ability to entertain urban Chinese through “authentic” cultural performances of song and dance. Interpretation of this imagery necessarily is political: tourism works hand in hand with current campaigns to maintain a national narrative of ethnic harmony. As a counter-narrative, we describe our encounters with the complex identities of Miao people (particularly the Hmong subgroup) and the daunting challenges they face in modern society. Chinese tourists from big cities are drawn to Guizhou (the poorest province), where they can view not only the “timeless” realm of mountains and lamp-lit villages, but also the “purity” of the Miao, who welcome outsiders with open arms. Chinese documentaries present the Miao as simple, close to the land and unchanging in their culture. Tourists and viewers are told they can see the Miao in their “original” state, far removed from modern society’s complications. However, confronting high rates of poverty and low rates of education, Miao people need more than audience applause at the end of their shows. Moreover, while Miao people are being praised for their “authentic” performances, they are losing the very culture which they are assumed to embody: Han Chinese are deciding what Miao will perform; villages are being turned into tourism showcases, and families are breaking up as youth leave the countryside for jobs in big cities (with tourism profits going to outside contractors).