You could tell just by looking at the windows: Zongdian was a tough and gritty sort of town. At least in the old quarter, the windows were splattered with mud, as if Earth herself were slinging dirt at those brazen enough to call this place home. I was stopping here for only one night as I continued to make my way up China's Yunnan Province. Having started at the Laotian border, where the elevation was about 1600 feet, I was now in Zongdian, elevation 10,500 ft.
In other words, the farther north I traveled, the more the earth pushed itself up into the heavens. One might think this close proximity of heaven and earth would make for some good spiritual vibes; I certainly felt this a week later in Lhasa. But not so in Zongdian. Indeed, the only monk I met here did something rather extraordinary: he shot me.
Now, two things must be said before I continue to the photographs. First, he wasn't really a monk; he was a novice. Second, he shot me with a pellet rather than a bullet. Thus there was no harm done; just a sting.
I first set eyes on the violent child shortly after rounding this corner...
He had commandeered the path and took careful aim at the clouds, firing once he had a clear shot. Inspired by this shooting, I took out my camera and fired away as well. For example, here are two of my shots...
Leaving the boy, I continued on to see some other sites on the hilltop. I was, however, being followed. (Or was I being stalked?) In either case, the boy and I met up again at the venue you see below. Here he continued to blast away at the sky and then, without much warning, he redirected his aim 90 degrees and nailed me in the leg.
Because he ran out of pellets while I still had a score of shots left on my memory stick, it was I who fired the last volley (see below). Then, with our respective shootings completed, I said goodbye. And as I walked away, I realized Tibetan Buddhism has more to it than just the smiling face of the Dalai Lama. It also has, on at least one hilltop in northern Yunnan, a really, really bored kid.
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Comments: 37
Joel, I was actually wondering if you'd ever had anything published in National Geographic! I love your stories and pictures!
You are a talented writer and photographer.
This sentence pulled me into the story, which I read with delight. Keep your camera loaded at all times in case of emergencies!
Sometimes you just find some fun kids in China, other times you just find funny ones to write about.
Magi
Diane M.
The tetraske-lion or Greek Cross/ Buddhist Chakra [wheel of the law]/ Tibetan Yun-drun [path of life] that you captured on the side of a temple is definitely incongrous too, when people associate it only with the Nazi symbol instead of to the original sign widely used in ancient cosmic or religious symbolism.
I am a bit curious about the colorful ribbons wound around the railing that the Buddhist boy was hanging onto... what is their significance?
Kids, even ones in monastic garb, are kids. They get bored and they can get in trouble. Great story and photos.
Namast, Wayne
This is a fantastic story and photos, I agree with Amy George, This should be in a magazine (just like the rest of your stuff). Thanks for sharing this I really enjoyed it!