YAY!

"During our initial investigation, we discovered that some of the most skilled hunters in the area, upon reaching adulthood, wore strange tattoos—the designs of a creature resembling a qilin (a mythical Chinese creature). We conducted extensive research into this practice, exploring the evolution of these tattoos and related legends. We identified two key points regarding their origin: "The first point comes from Han Chinese tattoo masters. According to local elders, their initial tattoos were quite different, both in technique and shape—very simple and primitive. Later, a Han Chinese tattoo master arrived and gradually taught them, eventually leading to the current style." "When did this Han Chinese tattoo artist arrive in Banna? According to their speculation, it should have been during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Information about him is very scarce; only one legend mentions that he came to avoid punishment, but this cannot be verified, though it's not important. We first learn that this tattoo was improved by a Han Chinese within the last thousand years." "Legend has it that the tattooing of this character by hunters in Banna was restricted to a specific area. It's said that only hunters hunting deep in the Yangjiao Mountains needed this tattoo." "The second point is, what was the significance of this tattoo? That tattoo was a very precise map of the terrain, not in the modern sense, but rather the safest hunting route in that area, discovered by the ancient Yao people after countless trials. This route was extremely complex, and in an era without maps and writing, the ancient Yao people tattooed it onto their bodies." "At that time, the tattoo was simply a way to record routes. Later, due to wars and various historical reasons, the original purpose of the tattoo was forgotten, becoming a custom without a clear reason. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, a Han Chinese who fled to a Yao village possessed the skill of tattooing and improved these crude patterns, eventually creating the tattoos we see today." "It's so complex that it's impossible for a person to remember it by mind or instinct. If it weren't for the tattooed map on his body, the hunter would have to give up before he even got a third of the way through; the path was just too difficult."

You Tiao (Chinese Donuts) 油条 These homemade You Tiao are the Chinese breakfast donuts I ate on the way to school, crispy and golden on the outside and hollow and airy inside. My recipe fries them from a simple dough of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and egg white, no street-vendor chemicals in the bowl. You’ll love the salty, pull-apart donut that you can tear apart with your hands and dunk into warm soy milk or a bowl of hot congee.

Chrysoprase, Diamond & Gold Floral Brooch ✨