Miao traditions beset by 'hollow villages'  

通讯：探访中国最大苗寨背后的“空心村”

一直以来，贵州省黔东南的西江给外界留下的印象都是：“中国仅有、世界无双的千户苗寨”，整个苗寨有1250户，5600多人。旅游业的兴起正改变着这个传统的村寨。

Leishan (CNS) –– Xijiang Miao Village, the largest village of the Miao ethnic group in China and a popular tourist resort, has lured many of the region's young adults away from their hometowns, an exodus that has resulted in a phenomenon called "hollow villages."

Located in southwestern Guizhou Province, Xijiang Miao is home to 1,250 households made up of more than 5,600 residents, many of whom have left their villages behind in search of income.

The term "hollow village" was first employed by Professor Xi Xuesong of China Agricultural University to describe villages where most adults have left. Dozens of these villages are scattered in the mountains near Xijiang Miao, and there traditional ways of life can't be passed down, Xi says.

In Maliao Village, which lies northwest of Xijiang, one rarely sees young men or hears the laughter of children. Only the elderly and 12 first grade kids remain, says Li Shilin, residential committee director of the village. Most young people have left to do business in nearby towns, Li adds.

Original customs for weddings, funerals and ethnic holidays are preserved in these villages, where old people still care about them. Only they know the history of the Miao ethnic group, Li says.