Baoyao Village: born beauty of Yao culture

宝瑶村竹竿舞是宝瑶村瑶民从日常生活中获取灵感自创的舞蹈。

　　Bamboo pole dance is created by Baoyao villagers inspired from daily life.

宝瑶村民居风格。

　　Style of dwellings in Baoyao Village

宝瑶村鸳鸯银杏树是不得不看的一道风景。这两棵有着上千年历史的银杏树，一棵为夫，一棵为妇，交相呼应。

　　A pair of thousand-year gingko trees in Baoyao Village

熬茶曾是湘黔古道过往客商最钟爱的野生茶品，至今已有上千年历史，已深深融入宝瑶村村民的生活。

　　Thousand-year boiled tea, ever most favored by travelling merchants on ancient Hunan-Guizhou path, has been keenly infused into life of Baoyao villagers.

　　湖南邵阳洞口县罗溪瑶族乡宝瑶村位于罗溪国家森林公园境内，村域总面积约9.63平方公里，瑶族人口占85%。宝瑶村最先闻名于在此穿过的湘黔古道。旧时宝瑶村是湘黔古道来往商旅驻马歇憩、养精蓄锐的驿站，目前村里仍保存着长10余里、宽2米左右的青石板路。

　　Located in Luoxi National Forest Park, ethic Yao township, Dongkou County, Shaoyang, Hunan, Baoyao Village covers an area of about 9.63 square kilometers, populated by 85% Yao people. Baoyao Village used to be well-known as a courier station for travelling merchants’ rest on ancient Hunan-Guizhou path. There is still blue flagstonewalkway, over 5,000 meters long and about 2 meters wide in the village.

　　在宝瑶村几乎家家户户都设置了制作熬茶的火炉，一家人就围坐在火炉边一边聊天一边喝着熬茶。四月八“乌饭节”是宝瑶村瑶民的传统节日，这天各家都要邀请亲朋好友相聚，一起呷乌饭、融亲情。当天，打糍粑、打陀螺、踩高跷、舞龙灯、木偶戏、竹竿舞等活动也会接连登场。

　　Almost every household in the village has a stove for cooking boiled tea. The family members sit around the stove, chatting freely while drinking boiled tea. “Black Rice Festival” on every April 8 is the traditional festival for Baoyao villagers. At the festival, friends and relatives would gather together, eating and playing, including hitting glutinous rice cake, playing spinning top, walking on stilts, dragon lantern dance, puppet show, bamboo pole dance, etc.

　　2013年宝瑶村被评为湖南省历史文化名村，目前，宝瑶村已完成了村寨的保护和发展规划，加大了基础设施建设，发展种植养殖业，改善人居环境，注重保持传统和民族风格，致力打造特色旅游村寨。

　　Since Baoyao Village was rated as Hunan Famous Historical and Cultural Village in 2013, Baoyao Village has completed its protection and development planning, reinforced infrastructure construction, planting and breeding industry. The village has been dedicated to improving living conditions, maintaining tradition and folk style, and developing characteristic rural tourism.

　　Original link: 【湖南少数民族特色村镇】邵阳宝瑶村：天生丽质的瑶寨奇葩