Interethnic Interaction and Integration in HaitangTown along the Qingxixia Ancient Road, Liangshan Prefecture

JOURNAL OF ETHNOLOGY， VOL. 15， NO.02， 49-58， 2024 （CN51-1731/C， in Chinese）.

DOI：10.3969/j.issn.1674-9391.2024.021.006

Abstract：

Taking Haitang Town， an important town along the ancient Qingxixia Road， as its main research subject， this study has excavated cultural relics and “historical evidence” of exchanges and interactions among its diverse ethnic groups such as the Han， Yi， Tibetan and others. This research， therefore， seeks to provide cases of what is called the “three contacts” among various ethnic groups， offering examination from a microscopic perspective， and to give valuable insights for scholarly research on topics related to the forging of a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation in its new era.

Situated as the inaugural town upon entering Liangshan via the Southern Silk Road，Haitang Town has been closely related to the Qingxixia Ancient Road， and over time the two have developed a symbiotic relationship， which gradually evolved into a mutually reinforcing structure. Firstly， Haitang Town has the characteristics of ethnic and cultural diversity， with Han， Yi， and Tibetan as its dominant residents. Historically， Tibetans， Yi， and Han have fostered a symbiotic coexistence， sustaining a harmonious ethnic relationship for a long time. The distribution pattern of multi-ethnic interaction and symbiosis in Haitang town has further contributed to linguistic diversity in this region， and the Ersu Tibetans have developed a unique costume culture through the processes of contact， absorption， and cultural exchange with the Han and Yi peoples.

Secondly，Haitang Town has been exhibiting a widespread phenomenon of inter-ethnic marriages among the Han， Yi， and Tibetan. After the founding of the New China， and especially following the advent of the reform and opening up period， the rate of inter-ethnic marriages in Haitang Town has shown a consistent upward trend. In the long process of living together， families formed through inter-ethnic marriages will adjust to each other in terms of language， customs， and dietary habits， which have shown to not only be conducive to deeper communication and emotional integration， but to also promote deeper mutual identification.

Thirdly，Haitang Town has been showcasing a pattern of multi-religious and cultural coexistence. Notably， Qianfo Temple in Haitang Town stands as a testament to cross-regional， cross-ethnic， and cross-religious convergence， where diverse cultures， such as Taoism， Buddhism， and ethnic folk beliefs， harmoniously coexist. It could also be considered as a historical witness to inter-ethnic cultural exchange， interaction， and integration. In addition， the annual Chenghuang Temple fair has evolved into a conscious cultural adaptation： In addition to inheriting elements of Buddhism and Taoism from the Central Plains， the fair also absorbed various folk religious practices indigenous to the local Yi and Ersu Tibetan， arguably forming a cultural landscape of “three contacts” paradigm and harmonious coexistence of different ethnic groups.

In sum， the case study of Haitang Town shows a dynamic interplay among the Han， Yi， Tibetan， and other ethnic groups migrating along the Qingxi Ancient Road throughout history. As these people groups gradually merged， they formed an interactive symbiosis distribution pattern marked by deep interactions and exchanges in various spheres of daily life， including language， customs and habits， dress culture， inter-ethnic marriages， and religious beliefs. Over time， the boundaries between ethnic groups have gradually softened， giving rise to a more flexible cultural intersection and an emergent state of cultural sharing， thus forming a realistic depiction of intercultural communication and integration among various ethnic groups.

Key Words：

the Southern Silk Road; Liangshan Prefecture; Qingxixia Ancient Road; Haitang town; interethnic communication，interaction and blending;forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation