第12章 Singing Bandhnu

Entry: Bandhnu

Bandhnu is a traditional fabric tie-dyeing method in Xiangxi. Parts of cloth are tied in tight knots before it is dyed with indigo. This process is called bandhnu. The Bandhnu is the most famous in Fenghuang County.

I was invited to the 40th anniversary of Xiangxi Autonomous Prefecture. I felt amazed when the music and dance of the large song-and-dance opera "Bandhnu Girl" started. Xiangxi, my dear hometown, should have such an incredible ode to labour. —Preface

A flower, a flaming flower of Caragana, blooms on a patch of protruded soil.

A patch of flowers, which are all white in the shape of dog paws, cluster on a slope.

A mountain of tung tree flowers, a mountain of honeysuckles, and a mountain of flowers that one cannot tell the names, are all smiling, immersing themselves in the beauty of spring.

In the flowers comes the sound of birds. Amid the birdsong a river flows. Around the river sleep idyllic fairy tales. The slowly rotating waterwheel, the curl of smoke and the light of early dawn, all create a kind of fantasy. When morning comes, the spring wakes up and the sun gets up. A homespun cloth of plain color begins to sing for the spring. The cloth is made by bandhnu girls with deep affection for their lover. For dozens and even hundreds of days and nights, the beautiful and romantic bandhnu girls spin strings of cloth, spin rays of sunshine and strings of clear streams, on the background of green hills and blue waters, facing the sun, moon and stars. Her lover gives her a shining shuttle made of ox horn, with which she weaves a sky, a waterfall and the soft chest of her lover. Now, the chest is lifted up and down excitedly in front of her, with the hands of bandhnu girls trembling on it. Tie-dyeing means tying first and then dyeing. So what patterns the cloth is ususally tied into?

The flowers and grass on the roadside.

The butterflies among the flowers.

The fish and shrimps in the river.

The cloud hanging in the sky.

The blue handkerchief of Mother.

The water pipe of Father.

The bright eyes and glistening bells of her lover.

With the possibility created by needle and thread, sickle and hoe go down the hill and sit on the homespun cloth. Wherever embroidering girls' fingers have brushed, dreams and hopes grow up like soybean and sorghum, creating many fantastic pictures. Men sit with the girls and chat with them.

During their chatting, every man plays a lively song by using a leaf as musical instrument. The songs from the leaf and the dance steps carry the thoughts of men and pass them to the bandhnu girls. They are inborn dancers and singers, easily winning the hearts of the girls by enchanting and wild flirting and teasing. Girls lose their hearts and dance distractedly in the wind. The dance is as authentic as a mother pulling up Chinese cabbage in the vegetable garden; the dance is as amusing as a father wearing open-crotch pants, impressing people a lot. While dancing, the young quickly finds their love. They hug each other, shoulder upon shoulder, cheek to cheek, eyes to eyes, chest upon chest. Homespun cloth in plain color helps the bandhnu girls to win the hearts of men, like a rope being tied tightly around their lover. Men are typical fools, carried by the homespun cloth, and led to the dyehouse.

In the wooden dyehouse, the steam is rising from the big dyeing barrel. On several long dyeing poles hangs the dyed homespun cloth, from which the dyeing water drips down. On the walls and the floor, dyes are spread everywhere. The barrels, the people and even the smoke rising from the roof are colored by indigo. The busy men and women stir, shake, dry or dye around the dyeing barrel. If the dye splashes out on the body and face of men and women, they may wipe their face and smear the dye even more. Then, some women would double over with laughter, and some men even flex their hips. Some even touch some dye on purpose and smear it on others' faces. The laughters and joy blow out the windows and spread in the wild. The affection of both men and women is dyed into deeper color. The homespun cloth with embroidering on one side becomes a blue rippled river. The common dyehouse becomes a womb, where the love and beauty is born.

Around a river come the men and women, dancing and carrying love and beauty. After bandhnu, people will wash the cloth in the cleanest river. The bandhnu cloth is put into the river and washed in the water. The water and cloth affectionately hug, kiss and fall in love with each other. The classic water and the classic cloth are deeply attached to each other and cannot bear to part. The heavy and redundant dye is washed away, leaving the real and unaffected color. All kinds of patterns come to emerge under the water. Some pastoral songs, moving flute music, and willow catkins and sparrows all dance on the bandhnu cloth. Only the lovers can see the legs and hips of girls, who stand in the water, like a water bird with a lotus on its head. The slender fingers are not only pens used to write poems and draw a wonderful bandhnu picture, but also a flute used to play songs creating much laughter. A piece of bandhnu cloth, a pipa, a river of spring water and a string are performed beautifully by the beautiful bandhnu girls.

In the twilight, the setting sun hangs on the mountain, while the sunshine dances on the water. Bandhnu clothes are hung highly in the village like flags. They are the art and picture of labor, the art and poem of labor. They are eternal music and dance. Then, every bandhnu girl has her wedding gown. Every bandhnu man has his bridegroom handkerchief. Naturally, brides and bridegrooms will bring up bandhnu girls and boys of a new generation.

Xiangxi bandhnu is a folk love letter. It is appreciated through ages, together with its unique music, dance, with poems and art.