几十年前，苗族人滚拉旺走出大山穿上军装，成为了一名铁道兵。如今，驻足在“生命树”下，看着苗寨日新月异的景象，往事萦绕在心头。

Decades ago, Gun Lawang, a man of the Miao ethnic group, ventured out of the mountains and joined the ranks of railway soldiers. Today, standing beneath his"Tree of Life" and seeing the ever-evolving landscape of his Miao village, memories of the past keep emerging in his mind.

滚拉旺：我出生的时候，我父亲给我种了一棵“生命树”。我6岁，我父亲就走（去世）了。然后有个老大爷说，你老爸走了，我带你去看你老爸给你种的一棵“生命树”，以后你记住这是你的树。

Gun Lawang: When I was born, my father planted a "Tree of Life" for me. At the age of six, my father passed away. Then an elderly man said, "Your dad is gone, but let me take you to see the 'Tree of Life' he planted for you. Remember, this is your tree."

岜（bā）沙是一个崇尚自然、以树为神的村落，每个人一生都有属于自己的“三棵树”（字幕：生命树、消灾树、常青树）。在孩子成人礼上，种上一棵庇护平安的“消灾树”，也寓意着成年后做人要像树那样正直无私、顶天立地。

Basha is a village that venerates nature and regards trees as gods. Every person in the village has their own "Three Divine Trees" (Tree of Life, Tree of Protectionand Treeof Eternity). During the coming-of-age ceremony, a Tree of Protection, symbolizing safety and peace, will be planted. It also signifies the expectation for people to grow up to be upright, selfless, and steadfast like trees.

滚拉旺还是孩童时，一场大火曾将整个寨子付之一炬。一次征兵的机会，让他得以怀着憧憬投身国家建设。退伍后，他放弃转业机会，毅然回到岜沙，参与村子治理、旅游开发。

When Gun was still a child, a devastating fire engulfed the entire village. An opportunity to join the military allowed him to play his part in the country's development with aspiration. After his service, he turned down the opportunity forbeing transferred to civilian work and chose to return to Bashato participate in village governance and tourism development.

滚拉旺：群众就推荐我当村长，我一直干了二十多年。因为我见过世面，我参加政府的工作，带领群众搞旅游、搞建设，退休后我就成了寨老。我算是第一个能说汉语、代表岜沙讲解我们的文化（的人）。

Gun Lawang: The villagers recommended me to be the village chief, a position that I had been serving in for over twenty years. With my broad experience, I could well handle government work, and had led the villagers to develop tourism and construction projects. After retirement, I became a tribe leader. I am proud to be the first one who can speak Mandarin and represent Basha to introduce our culture.

岜沙村，保留着众多苗族的原始文化习俗，被誉为苗族文化的“活化石”“博物馆”。岜沙汉子历来“枪不离身、刀不离腰”，被特许持枪的岜沙，也被称为“中国最后一个枪手部落”。

Basha Miao Village, which preserves many traditional customs and practices, is known as the living fossil and museum of Miao ethnic culture. The men of Basha have always carried powder shotgun and knives, earning them the reputation of China's last gunmen's tribe.

滚拉旺：平时我们这个枪就用给小孩15岁成人礼上，男孩必须授枪。我这一杆枪，就是我成人礼上才授给我，授给我一直带到现在，已经四十多年了。我们这个永远改不了，也丢不了，还会往下传，一代传一代。

Gun Lawang: In our village, it is customary to present a powder shotgun to boys as part of their coming-of-age ceremony when they turn 15. I received this very shotgun during my own ceremony, and it has been with me for over forty years. This tradition is passed down from one generation to the next, a practice that remains unchanged and cherished.

自从搭上了“文旅快车”，苗族的一些文化习俗得以走向公众视野。以往女性不能碰枪的禁忌已经破除。游客们还可以身着当地服饰，伴随着芦笙阵阵参与联欢，甚至扮演一位苗族传统婚礼上的新人。但是“镰刀剃头”这个项目，还是让不少宾客“望而却步”。

Since seizing the cultural and tourism boom, some of the Miao ethnic group's cultural customs have been gaining visibility among the public. The taboo that women were not allowed to touch shotguns has been abolished. Visitors can now dress in local attire, join in the celebration accompanied by the sounds of traditional musical instrument Lusheng, and even play the role of a bride or groom in a traditional Miao wedding. However, the head-shaving with scythe remains a deterring tradition for many visitors.

滚拉旺：成人礼用镰刀剃头，现在我们就传下来一直到现在，都是我们岜沙的一些故事和历史。但是女性（成人礼）就简单了，那些长辈、奶奶、姐妹，都来教她刺绣、织布、染布。

Gun Lawang: In the coming-of-age ceremony, scythesare used to shave the head. It has been a long-standing tradition in Basha, making up part of the stories and history of our tribe. However, the coming-of-age ceremonyfor females is much simpler. The elders, grandmothers, and sisters would come together to teach embroidery, weaving, and dyeing to the young women.

苗寨的一天，也难免柴米油盐。年过七旬的滚拉旺，还要赶在上午迎宾仪式前，去看下自家的田地。而妇女更是片刻不得休息，演出前的空隙，都用来为家人和自己缝制衣物。

Daily mundane tasksare also common in the Miao village. Gun, in his seventies, would hurry to check on his fields before the morning village welcoming ceremony. The women, on the other hand, have no time to rest. Every spare moment before the welcoming performance is spent sewing clothes for their families and themselves.

随着日出的到来，晨光与流动的云海交织在一起，蔚为壮观。尊重自然，敬畏自然，岜沙人换来了一片茂密的山林。

As the sun rises, the morning light intertwines with the flowing sea of clouds, creating a magnificent spectacle. The people of Basha, respecting and revering nature, have been rewarded with lush forests.

在寨子里，还有一块遍布沟痕的巨石——“祖母石”。“祖母石”所处的平台被认为是寨中“法庭”，“监督”着村民们遵守村规民约。

In the village, there is a giant stone with grooves all over it, known as the "Grandmother Stone." The platform where the Grandmother Stone is located is considered the "court" of the village, "supervising" the villagers to abide by the village rules and regulations.

滚拉旺：我们寨里面有的人心不好，偷盗的，砍生命树的，都在祖母石那里举行（仪式），自己来道歉，（表示）以后不能像我这样做，为了教训（育）大家和小孩。现在我们订的村规民约，处罚“三个120”——120斤肉、120斤酒、120斤米。88年我们做了一次，（到）现在就一直没发现这些（不好的行为），祖母石主要是这样的（作用）。

Gun Lawang: For villagers with bad intentions and engaged in theftand illegally cutting down the Trees of Life, they would apologize and pledge not to repeat such actions at a ceremony held at the Grandmother Stone, which seeks to educate both adults and children. We have established village rules and regulations, imposing a punishment of "three 120s" -- 120 kilograms of meat, 120 kilograms of alcohol, and 120 kilograms of rice, for violators. Since 1988, when we implemented this punishment once, we have not discovered any such misconduct. The Grandmother Stonehas played its primary role as a deterrent.

今天，一棵棵高耸挺拔的“生命树”枝繁叶茂，为勤劳勇敢的苗族人遮风挡雨。而中华民族坚韧不屈的民族精神，让岜沙苗寨得以“浴火重生”。

Today, the towering Trees of Life stand tall and lush, providing shelter and protection for the hardworking and brave Miao people. The indomitable spirit of the Chinese nation has allowed Basha Miao Village to rise from the ashes and thrive once again.

滚拉旺：当年被火烧的时候，车不通车，电没有电，晚上还要点火把，多苦多穷。现在政策好了，住的房子也宽了大了，生活条件也好了，有穿、有吃、有住，都好啦。今天的生活那么幸福。

Gun Lawang: When the fire broke out that year, transportation was cut off, there was no electricity, and we had to use torches for lighting at night. It was a difficult and impoverished time. But now, thanks to supportive policies, our living conditions have been greatly improved. Our houses are spacious and comfortable, and we have enough food, clothing, and shelter. We are living a very happy life.