Reuniting with their reindeer
Young Ewenki forgo the bright lights of the city for the chimes of bells
By Li Hongyang in Beijing and Yuan Hui in Hohhot |
China Daily |
Updated: 2026-01-19 08:53
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But that evening, amid the thrill of viral fame, her aunt Dekesha asked a question that cut through the noise: "When you were walking on that busy street, could you still hear their bells?"
The room went silent. In the roar of the city, the soft bronze chimes — the very sounds that allow a herder to locate a deer a kilometer away while lying inside a cuoluozi (a traditional birchbark tent) — had been drowned out.
"The city was too loud for the reindeer," Youta realized. "They were overstimulated, and their health was at risk."
The next morning, the group packed up. There was no debate. Fame was temporary; the well-being of the "family" was paramount.
