Xinhua News Agency, GUIYANG, May 6th: “Spiderman” in Miao Township, Guizhou
Xinhua News Agency reporter Jiang Cheng, Wang Jun
The 80-meter-high cliff, without any climbing equipment, luo Dengping, a 38-year-old Spiderman, can climb back and forth in 20 minutes. Ziyun Miao and Buyei Autonomous County, located in beauty spot of Getu River, Anshun city, Guizhou province, Luo Dengping, a Miao woman, and her five senior brothers made rock climing with hands a career.
The Miao nationality’s tradition of climbing without wearing ropes can be traced back to several centuries ago, initially to place the coffin of the deceased relatives. Ancient Miao people had the custom of cave burial. After the death of their relatives, they needed “Spiderman” to carry their coffins to the cave for installation.
At the same time, there are a large number of swallows breeding here in the area of Gelao River, Ziyun county, Guizhou. Swallow manure in bird’s nest on the cliff is a good fertilizer and can also be used as medicinal materials, spiderman collects swallow droppings or herbs in steep cliffs, just like walking on the ground. Now, the local tourist attractions have taken it as a performance project to attract tourists.
In the morning, the air is fresh within beauty spot of Getu River. Six Spiderman, including Luo Dengping, started from home and came to the beauty spot of Getu River Swallow Cave scenic spot in a short time. After simple preparations, they will present a thrilling performance to the tourists waiting for the scenic spot of Swallow Cave.
Swallow Cave is one of the main scenic spots in beauty spot of Getu River. The cave in the shape of an arch is about 110 meters high and nearly 30 meters wide. A clear river flows through the cave, and on both sides of the river are cliffs covered with moss. The work of Spiderman is to rock climing with hands on the wall of the cave.
6 people took a bamboo raft and slowly came under the cave wall. Senior brother Huang Xiaobao took the lead. He caught a bulging rock with both hands and climbed up quickly. In a few seconds, he had climbed five or six meters.
Other “Spiderman” followed closely, and each person was two or three meters apart. They had different grasping points and different postures.
After about 10 minutes, Huang Xiaobao, the first spider man, has been culminate. In order to signal to tourists, Huang Xiaobao waved the red flag inserted at the vertex and drum playing three times. The staff of the scenic spot told the reporter that the vertex was 80 meters high from the water surface and could only accommodate one person. The red flag and drum were brought by the “Spider Man” before.
Tourists watching on the bank of the river make a sound of admiration from time to time, picking up cameras and mobile phones one after another to record the rock climbing process of “Spider Man.
About 20 minutes later, all six “Spiderman” landed, and a tense and exciting performance ended. Some tourists are still unsatisfied and take photos with “Spider Man” one after another.
Luo Dengping told the reporter the story of her learning rock climing with hands. “When I was twelve or three years old, I followed my father to learn rock climbing. My father was a famous ‘Spider’ in this area. Originally, rock climing with hands was the technology of passing on men and women, at first, my father didn’t want to teach me.”
“I think men and women should be equal, I can learn. At my repeated request, my father took me to climb once.” Luo Dengping said that at that time, her father looked back and asked her if she really wanted to learn, and she answered that she would learn carefully. Therefore, my father decided to let her study rock climbing with five senior brothers.
Seven or eight years of study made Luo Dengping grow up rapidly. At the age of 20, Luo Dengping came to work in beauty spot of Getu River and became a qualified “Spider Man”.
Nowadays, climbing up and down on the beauty spot of Getu River of Swallow Cave scenic spot in Shek Pik has become the daily work of Luo Dengping. “When there are more people, you have to go back and forth five or six times a day, and when there are fewer people, two or three times.” She said that the scenic spot pays wages according to the number of performances, with an average income of 5000 or 6000 yuan per month.
In her 18-year rock climbing career, Luo Dengping did not have an accident. In her words, it was to get the true story of her father-there was no need to force and try many times. There is a rule in rock climing with hands, ‘It is easy to get up ‘. Father said, you can go up, don’t force it if you can’t go up. I can’t go up this time. Think about it for a few more days and try it a few more times, then I can go up step by step.” Luo Dengping said.
As a mother of two children, Luo Dengping was persuaded by her family to give up rock climbing, but she told her family that this was her favorite career and she would continue anyway. “My family worried about me and also came to see my work, but I told them that rock climbing was like walking a flat road, which made them dispel their doubts.” She said.
For the inheritance of this skill, 6 senior brothers and sisters said that their children were still young and would be taught to them if they liked rock climbing in the future. Moreover, they also plan to find some teenagers who are interested in rock climing with hands and are willing to accept them as apprentices to cultivate more “Spiderman”.