Multinational family embraces Zhuang ethnic culture

On the afternoon of April 23, in Detian village, Jinchengjiang district, Hechi city, a Zhuang ethnic minority female anchor named Wei Dongni, dressed in traditional Zhuang attire and adorned with ethnic headwear, interacted with online viewers in fluent Zhuang dialect, Mandarin, English, and German. Within just five minutes of starting the live stream, over 1,000 netizens flooded into the live stream broadcast.

Wei's German husband shares her deep interest in Zhuang culture and dialect. The couple not only learned to cook local dishes and speak the local dialect, but also dressed their six-year-old son in traditional Zhuang clothing and taught him the local dialect, as well as traditional folk songs of Hechi. They document their family life in short video clips, which quickly gained popularity online.

Wei and her family. [Photo/Hechi Daily]

When it comes to how she met her husband, Wei remembers it vividly. In 2017, Wei managed a bar in the Huangpu district of Guangzhou, where her fluent English caught the attention of many foreign customers. At that time, a German man named Tilo walked into Wei's bar, and their acquaintance began over a glass of German beer. Following Tilo's pursuit, the two tied the knot the following year, registering their marriage in both China and Germany and welcoming their mixed-race son, Luke.

During festivals and holidays, Wei and her husband Tilo visit her hometown, Detian village. The picturesque countryside and simple local customs provide Tilo, who grew up in rural Germany, with a familiar and warm feeling.

With each visit back home, Tilo gradually learns to speak the Zhuang dialect. Although not entirely fluent, language serves as a magical medium, breaking down barriers and unfamiliarity. This multinational family is filled with a strong "Guangxi flavor".

Under Wei's influence, Tilo has also developed a fondness for authentic Hechi cuisine, particularly local delicacies such as preserved meat, poached chicken, as well as tomato and egg noodles. Tilo has learned to procure ingredients under the guidance of his wife and family and has mastered the art of preparing Hechi's specialty tofu dishes.

Interestingly, their son Luke, exposed to various languages and dialects from a young age, has now become so fluent in Zhuang dialect that he even surpasses his father, Tilo.

During this year's Guangxi Sanyuesan Festival, Wei returned to Detian village with her son Luke to experience rich and diverse ethnic cultural activities. She and her son made multicolored sticky rice, dressed in traditional ethnic attire, and learned to sing folk songs from the local "King of Mountain Song."

She was seen sitting by a pond in front of her house, teaching her son to sing the intangible cultural heritage, the "Oye" mountain song of the Zhuang people from Jinchengjiang.

Wei, with her son Luke, learns to sing folk songs from the local "King of Mountain Song." [Photo/Hechi Daily]