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Ethnic minorities of Heilongjiang: Oroqen
by mke1963
The Oroqen, living in the northern ranges of the Dahinggan Mountains of Inner Mongolia and Heilonjiang, are one of northern China’s more enigmatic nationalities, and one facing more difficult times. Their traditional livelihoods, based on hunting, has been ended – legally – by a ban on hunting. Yet it is interesting that in China the urban rich can hunt, while those whose ancient traditions depend upon it are prevented from doing so. Nomadic Oroqen communities, in the woods and mountains, are certainly threatened, and their resettlement in villages and towns is creating substantial future social problems, as has been seen in countries across the globe.
Ethnic minorities of Heilongjiang: Hezhen & Daur
by mke1963
The 1200 members of the Hezhen nationality, one of China’s smaller groups, live in the area around Tongjiang, where the mighty Heilongjiang meets the smaller Songhuajiang. The lives of these intriguing people revolve solidly around the rivers, lakes and fish. They even wear clothing and shoes made from fish skins.The Daur nationality living in Inner Mongolia and up the Gan He and Nen Jiang river, south-west of the town of Heihe. They have proved more able to move from hunting and fishing activities to pastoral and settled livelihoods, although without leaving their traditional areas: perhaps a useful role model for the Oroqen.China struggles with its minorities, relentlessly trumpeting the harmony of all its fifty-six nationalities in the media and in tourist literature, yet failing to do much to help preserve or sustain their diversity. The effervescent sympathetic output of the scores...
The climate in Heilongjiang
by mke1963
The long winter months are fierce in Heilongjiang; this area is really on the edge of Siberia, and not all that long ago, China's borders used to extend up across the Heilongjiang/Amur river into what is now called Siberia. The province has a continental climate, with cool pleasant summers (like northern Scandinavia or Canada), but the winters are ferociously cold (like, errr, northern Scandinavia or Canada). From December through to March, the temperature drops to minus 25-30 degrees Celsius, coming up to about minus 12-20 degrees during the day. Our experience (in early February) was that the temperature soared quickly to minus 13 during the morning, then started to drop slowly after noon to about minus 15 by four o'clock. After that, it dropped fast, losing a couple of degrees every hour. The temperature difference between about 3pm and 7pm seemed enormous. Being outdoors when warmly...
Winter Clothing
by mke1963
If you are not from a cold climate, or are unused to cold climates, bringing appropriate clothing in winter is absolutely essential. Unlike Beijing and Hebei, Heilongjiang is not a province where you can arrive in a city in summer clothing and expect to buy a coat here and a scarf there and a hat when you see one you like. You will freeze to death by the time you have crossed the first street on the way to the market. The range, quality and sizes of clothing (especially large) is limited up here, unless you know exactly where to go.It is difficult to describe what minus 25 degrees Celsius feels like, but rest assured that any exposed flesh will freeze rapidly; the slightest gust of wind will feel like a knife attack. Heilongjiang in winter is simply not for the faint-hearted.
Recommended plan for clothing: really thin cotton or silk socks underneath long walking socks, silk or thin...
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