侯波《兴安岭深处袅袅炊烟》

Smoke coming from the Xing’an Mountains.

Hou Bo, female, Oroqen nationality, vice chairman of Heihe Writers Association, member of Heilongjiang Writers Association, member of Minority Literature Committee of Heilongjiang Writers Association, Deputy Secretary-General of Heilongjiang Oroqen Research Society, student of the 37th senior seminar for young and middle-aged writers of Lu Xun Institute of Arts, 26th training course for minority literary creation of Lu Xun Institute of Literature. Most of the essays published in newspapers and periodicals such as People's Daily, Chinese Ethnics and Northern Literature were reprinted by People's Daily Online and Northeast Network and won several provincial awards. The novel "Snow Hunt" was selected as the critical work to support the project of ethnic minority literature of the China Writers Association in 2020.

Two beautiful Wunaji girls wearing giant red Oroqen ethnic costumes with black edges, lowering their eyebrows and smiling, combing each other's makeup - what made me fascinated was not only the beautiful Wunaji girls in the photo but also the clusters of blooming daisy flowers. Several tall white birch trees dotted between them, making the sea of flowers even more delicate, as if you could smell the fragrance of flowers floating in the wind, refreshing people's hearts...

"Where is this place so beautiful?" I couldn't help but ask.

"This is the New Oroqen Village! The photos your sister brought back a few days ago." Mom said.

"I was a teacher in the New Oroqen Village for three years; why didn't I know there was such a beautiful place?"

"No way, let's go back and look; I haven't been there for many years."

"Okay, let's go on Saturday." I agreed.

The sky was gloomy on Saturday, and I hesitated, but my mother had already prepared a large luggage package. Looking at my mother's expectant eyes, I called my friend, and he drove me, my mother, Aunt Xiuying, and Qinghai together.

The green elm branches swayed in the wind, the tender grass just arched out of the ground, and the red daisy flowers spread over the hills... The sky cleared up, and the white clouds, like gauze, floated in the blue sky.

Looking at the new green outside the window, I couldn't help but think of the scene when I reported to the New Oroqen Village in Heihe City in the spring of 1992...

At that time, the weather was still cold and dark in the early morning. I rushed to the bus station and saw that the bus was full of people and the shelves were full of things. I squeezed into the last window seat of the bus, and the glass was covered with thick crystal ice flowers, like a bunch of feathers and pine branches. I was bored in the car and couldn't help but melt a small piece of ice flower with my fingers, looking through the fingertip-sized glass at the silver-white world outside.

The 90-kilometer mountain road was originally a four-hour journey, but our bus took nearly 10 hours. The mountain road was rugged, and the snow was compressed into two deep ruts. The sunny mountain road was frozen, and the bus often skidded and even got stuck in the ice lake formed by the weir water. Everyone got off to push the car. After a bumpy ride, we finally arrived at our destination.

When I arrived at school, I saw several students crouching before the stove, the flames devouring the thick-mouthed wooden logs. I went to fetch water, but after pouring in three times, no water came out, so I had to ask for help. In the canteen, I ate with the students. The naughty students pinched the sticky steamed buns into a smiling face and stuck it on the glass, making everyone laugh. The firewall was burning red in the middle of the night, and I couldn't sleep. This was my first day in a new Hulunbuir Mongolian village. On the second day in the classroom, looking at the tiny faces full of thirst for knowledge, I forgot yesterday's fatigue, and my heart was warm...

"We're here, get off the bus!" The call of Qinghai brought me back to the present. After an hour and a half of driving, we arrived at the new Olonchon ethnic village: nestled in the north of the Little Xing'an Mountains, the beautiful Erbin River meanders through the deep valleys and mountains, the mossy boulders are hidden among them, the tall white birch trees stand tall, and the dense forests reveal a mysterious primitive. The villages can be faintly seen in the lush greenery with rows of white birch fences, yellow walls, grey tile villas with ethnic characteristics, bow and arrow-style solar streetlamps, and clean and tidy streets. Oukeren Street, Morigen Street, Aihan Road, Saul Khan Road, Kumah Road, Alban Road... The road names are engraved in the Oroqen language on wooden signs. In addition, there are the Bilahan People's Guest House, Kutuqi Restaurant, Serpukhovna UNAJI Larch Leather Factory, and Ling Shangren's Crafts Workshop. The new Oroqen ethnic village, which has changed its old look, is no longer the same as I remembered, making me feel fresh and strange.

For the first time, I entered my aunt's new home - the ethnic-style new home arranged by the government in 2012. I saw a tractor and a jeep in the yard. My aunt took my mother's hand and entered the house. As soon as she sat down, Meng Lanjie, the inheritor of the leather-making technique, and Mo Caiqiang, the inheritor of the "Xierenzhu" (a cone-shaped house built with more than 30 wooden poles).

I heard that Ge Changyun was sick, so we visited him together.

Speaking of Ge Changyun, she is a "big star", having appeared on CCTV programs and starred in documentaries such as "Beautiful China" and "Children of the Forest". Her handmade "Ula" (i.e. deer skin quilt), "Wo Sa Se Tuen" (i.e. deer skin mattress), "Uta Han" (i.e. leather pouch), "Mie Ta A Wen" (i.e. deer skin hat), "Sa Er Ba Hei" (i.e. deer skin five-finger flower gloves), "Qi Ha Mi" (i.e. leather boots) and other deer skin products and clothing have been collected by the Chinese Academy of Arts.

A plaque hangs on the gate of Ge Changyun's courtyard: "Inheritors of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Deer Skin Making". Walking into the inner room, Ge Changyun was lying on the bed. Seeing us, she hurriedly got up and invited us to sit down. On the windowsill of her house was a pot of lush flowers, on the ground was a specimen of a deer, and on the bed was an unfinished "U Tie Qi Ku Di" (i.e. leather bag). She hung photos of herself, the party and state leaders, and her participation in various intangible cultural heritage activities on the wall.

Seeing that I was curious about everything, Ge Changyun handed me the familiar deer skin and rabbit skin to look at. I touched the soft skin and found that the deerskin was short. Seeing my puzzled look, Auntie told me that this kind of deerskin is called Red Gangzi and is used for summer clothing.

After seeing many treasures in Ge Changyun's house, Meng Lanjie told me, "You can go to the Ling Shan People's Museum to see more Oroqen treasures."

We went to the Ling Shan People's Museum. As soon as we entered the door, we saw a hunting mural and a replica of the Gaxian Cave. The model next to the simple Xianren pillar was lifelike - several Oroqen people sat around the campfire chatting happily. On both sides of the exhibition hall were glass display cabinets with various exhibits: wooden saddles with copper flower edges, iron horse bridles, Oroqen-made guns, hunting knives, dog bone chopsticks and some leather tools. In the centre of the exhibition hall was the most eye-catching "Aomuluqin", a 7-meter-long, pointed-end birch bark boat. It is made of a camphor wood frame, wrapped in birch bark, and coated with pine oil. It is shaped like a willow leaf, small and light, and is a typical artefact of northern fishing and hunting culture.

At the museum, we also saw the "Suen" (i.e. fur robes) made of deer skin. The sturdy, soft and lightweight Suen is an indispensable piece of clothing for the Oroqen people. The "Piluo Suen" (i.e. men's fur robes) is convenient for riding horses, and the robes are open on the left and right, front and back. The "Axi Suen" (i.e. women's fur robes) is embroidered with exquisite patterns, patterns and collars, which are unique.

Looking at these old objects, I saw the picture of my ancestors' hunting life before my eyes, and I remembered my grandmother's legendary life. In 1945, Grandpa died of illness. Grandma took her young uncle and mother from one hunting ground to another, shuttling in the Xing'an Mountains and living in Xiernzhuzhu. Xiernzhuzhu was surrounded by animal skins in winter and birch bark in summer. The top was open air, and the bottom was burning fire. On the way, migrating back and forth in the forest, the three ate animal meat and wild vegetables, hungry and full. In 1953, the new rural government was established. The Oroqen finally stepped out of the deep mountains, bid farewell to the hunting life of "eating animal meat, wearing animal skins, and living without a fixed place", moved into the new wooden pile houses, and lived a settled life from the primitive society to the socialist society. Grandma wrote and sang a song to express her joy:

The Oroqen lived in the mountains and forests,

Wearing clothes made of animal skins,

Living an unstable life.

The party and Chairman Mao saved our nation,

We live in the family of our motherland,

Bathing in the glory of the party,

Everywhere is full of happy laughter,

We live freely and beautifully.

Since the reform and opening, primarily since the Party's Twentieth Congress, the state has implemented the border-rich action and issued policies to support the development of the population-poor ethnic groups. Under the strategy of building a new socialist countryside and revitalising the countryside, the new Oroqen Township has become a famous "Yundou Professional Township" far and near. Green soybeans and real estate mushrooms are exported to Beijing. The village has set up a cooperative for high-quality beef cattle, a unique breeding cooperative, and a Cirbin horse farm. The Oroqen horse has also been listed as a national protected project.

Nowadays, the new Oroqen ethnic village has driven the original ecological folk tourism with its hunting culture and has taken a new path for rural revitalisation - building a Chinese ethnic (Oroqen) characteristic village and turning it into a national AAA-level tourist attraction, building the Boao Ren Square, Seer Po Uli primitive tribe experience area, archery field, suspension bridge, sightseeing trail, observation platform, stone man natural scenic area, Imana snow field, Umo Su Bing ice field and other amusement places. In just a few years, the village has received more than 580 domestic and foreign tourist groups, laying a good foundation for the villagers to get rich and become well-off.

The Erbin River is rippling with blue waves,

The Oroqen people are singing folk songs,

The exquisite birch bark bowl is filled with wine,

Welcome your friends from afar to be guests,

The deep friendship warms the heart.

With the Erlunchun people's toast blessing, we reluctantly left the new Oroqen ethnic village. We saw the deep Xing'an Mountains in the setting sun at parting, with a poetic and picturesque scene.