Rǔyuán

Ruyuan lies in the Nanling mountains of northern Guangdong, a region where Yao communities have long lived among the ridges and valleys. The Guoshan Yao preserve a tradition of song used to communicate, tell stories and express affection. A poem written by the county magistrate Wu Bangjun in 1599 describes Yao people coming down from the hills in spring, recording an encounter between the county town and its mountain neighbours.