Asia Cultural Ties To Guangxi

As we all know, cultural ties between the earliest levels of human habitation in Guangxi and the areas of Vietnam, Thailand, and Burma abound. There are also secondary levels of cultural association with some areas of Japan and Indonesia. These cultural ties focus on several markers that range from the paleolithic to the current royal dynasty of Thailand: paleolithic stone axes, neolithic stone adzes, boundary stone markers for sacred spaces, guardian statues of dogs at private homes and businesses, tree-shaped candle holders, money trees, sacred prayer trees, boat festivals, elephants, and bronze drums often associated with the agricultural season and fertility. A hafted type of paleolithic stone axe is found in both Pingguo county, central Guangxi, and southern Vietnam. Neolithic stone adzes have been found throughout Guangxi, particularly at Longan, and at several sites throughout Vietnam, particularly in caves at Ha Long Bay. Carefully sculpted stone carvings that resemble leaf-shaped spearheads have been found at numerous prehistoric sites in Guangxi, particularly at Longan. Identically shaped stones have been used by the royal family of Thailand to mark sacred spaces since at least the 5th century AD. There is strong evidence that this practice in Thailand dates to the early years of Buddhism there and some scholars have speculated that the practice relates to earlier local burial markers. The standard belief in Thailand is that the shape of the stone resembles a leaf from the sacred tree where the Buddha received enlightenment. However, the size and shape of these stones so closely resemble the ones found in nearby Guangxi from the neolithic period that it is hard to rule out a connection. Like find-sites in Guangxi, there is also a prehistoric sacred site in northern Thailand that features similar boundary stones. Thai researches have assumed that these boundary stones were a later postBuddhist addition to the sites since they knew of no other examples from the neolithic era. It is possible that the marker stones found in prehistoric Thai sites come from a related culture to that of prehistoric Guangxi. Guardian dog statues in front of private homes are common in central Guangxi. There is a similar focus on dog statues throughout Vietnam, and in some regions of Thailand. In the southern Japanese island of Okenawa, use of private guardian dogs has been fully retained and has fuelled a huge tourist industry of small souvenir statues. Elsewhere in Japan one can find special shrines to guardian dogs associated with women who have had miscarriages. These are located on the grounds of shinto temples. In Vietnam, dog statues are more often found in front of wealthy homes. Tree-shaped candle holders, money trees, and sacred prayer trees are extensively found in the region. The 9-branched bronze trees of Sanxingdui are likely an ancient source. Nearly every temple has both tree-shaped candle holders in front of the altar, and a tree in the courtyard on which to hang prayers, fortunes, or bells. In some cultures, such as Japan, bad fortunes are hung on the tree while good ones are kept. In other places good wishes are hung, while the tradition elsewhere is to hang thanksgivings for answered prayers. The money-tree is associated with communities of Chinese ancestry throughout south-east Asia. Royal boat festivals are particularly associated with the rulers of Thailand. There is a striking similarity between the festival boats and those depicted in bronze drums from Guangxi and Vietnam. There is also a royal Thai connection to the elephant that may relate to hoards of ivory tusks found in Sanxingdui. The bird imagery of Sanxingdui also has parallels to Thailand, as does the tree-shaped candle holder. Bronze drums have a wide association throughout Asia including southern China, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, and Japan. There are several types and local variations in their usage. In Thailand they are mostly associated with the king and it is possible that those used by the royal court were captured from Burma. Elsewhere, drums have a shared association with the coming of the rainy season, harvest, fertility, and marriage. While some cultural markers may at first appear to be evidence of relatively recent cultural exchanges, such as the Chinese-type money tree, or adapted into general religious associations, the language of meaning has both deeper and broader roots than previously assumed. I am currently preparing a more detailed report on this data. Regards, Dr Sheldon Lee Gosline, Minzu University of China, Beijing (10 Dec 2014)