When we learned that Qingyun Village had a market, Anli and I immediately decided to take the small path the next day to go to the market. Anli said she had walked it once or twice as a child with playmates, but her memory of the mountain path was vague; she only remembered the general direction, so she asked relatives for the specific route. Before dawn, we started climbing a steep dirt road behind the village, and that section alone took us an hour and a half.
The small path was hidden in dense jungle. As we walked, Anli's mind surfaced with clear memories of the past. Where she used to graze cattle, where the narrow road and many cattle caused a calf to fall off a cliff, where the adults would sit while grazing cattle and embroider insoles, and where the farthest place she had ever been… She mentioned one market trip, just like now, walking for hours on mountain paths, taking a few yuan given by adults, and going to Qingyun with village friends. In the end, she was reluctant to spend money and bought nothing. On the way back, her friend rode the family mule, while she had to chase behind the mule all the way.
On the road, we met an old man and his grandson riding a mule up the mountain. This must have been one of the scenes of market-going in the past.
Our journey went smoothly overall; we only took a wrong turn once in the mountains but quickly found the right direction again. After three hours of arduous trekking, we finally saw the main road not far away. Villagers from nearby villages who had set out early for the market had already bought daily necessities and were heading back one after another. The older ones also walked to the market, while the younger ones rode motorcycles. The market was in a low-lying area two kilometers away, and the bustling noise had already reached our ears.
On the road, we met an elderly woman who, from a distance, mistook Anli for her granddaughter. Only when she got closer did she realize her mistake. The old woman was hale and hearty, with delicate features; even though her face was etched with the marks of time, she must have been stunning in her youth.
At the market, Anli met many fellow villagers who had brought potatoes to sell. The high-altitude potatoes from Huoshan Village were very popular in Qingyun. It was said that there were too many ants there to grow potatoes, and the high-altitude potatoes from Huoshan Village were not only of good quality but also delicious. One auntie had set out from Huoshan Village at five o'clock leading a mule and arrived at the market in just two hours.
Qingyun Village is a place rich in Yi culture, located in Ma'anshan Township, Weishan County, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province. It is one of the representative forms of Yi folk dance performances. Qingyun Village is famous for its unique ethnic art forms, the perfect combination of traditional song, dance, and music. At the same time, the residential architecture and traditional lifestyle have been well preserved and passed down. Although Qingyun Village is remote, many tourists come here specifically. At the market, we met a group of young people on a study tour.
