Benin in West Africa, where I lived for four years. Full of enthusiasm, I came to Sub-Saharan and Benin with Tales of the Sahara in hand. Life in Benin isn’t much better, but it’s not as poor as one might imagine. In addition to our daily work, we also walk around. The more we go to the local area, the more we can discover the happiness here. I still remember that as soon as I arrived in Benin, I was attracted by the small villas. They looked very delicate, with a unified crimson roof and a wide field of vision. After that, I lived in a three-story apartment by the road. This apartment is a high-rise building. You can see the sunset, the busy traffic, all kinds of pedestrians, and you can have a panoramic view of the world of Benin.
Part01 Conuto and the water village Gangvie
Cotonou, the largest city and port of Benin. This vibrant city is famous for its Dantokpa market, the largest in West Africa, but also for its beaches to escape the hustle and bustle. I was born in Chongqing, a child of a mountain city, but I have always liked the sea.
The first time I went to the beach in Cotonou, the sky was still slightly white. We set off from home for morning exercises, and the destination was Obama Beach. When we arrived at Obama Beach, it was already 6 in the morning, and the sun had already climbed the sea surface. Unfortunately, we could not see the sunrise. Standing on the shoal, the sea breeze is blowing slowly, the sea water beats the soles of the feet, the sand under the feet is slowly pulled away with the sea water, and the gaps on the soles of the feet are filled with the sea water. I played a chase game with the water, and it came surging, and I was washed back to the shore, leaving me laughing. Sometimes it can escape the watering of the sea, and sometimes it is unfortunate, and it is covered by the sea. The sea washes the coast all the year round, bringing the gifts of the ocean. There are always some beautiful shells and stones on the beach. I pick them up and I hope they can be made into a string of beautiful jewelry.
On weekends, the beach is full of people, and the beach facilities here are not complete, but it is a different kind of comfort to go to the beach with a tablecloth for a picnic. If you invite three or five friends, sit in a bar or restaurant by the sea, order a glass of beer, lie on a reclining chair, close your eyes, you will only feel that the world is quiet, and you can hear the sound of the waves. Basking in the sun, blowing the sea breeze, cool and comfortable. The coastline of Cotonou is very long, and it has been walking along the coastline. If you are lucky, you can still see fishermen fishing. Benin fishermen live in groups and work together. If you see a lot of people standing next to each other in a row, it means that the fishermen are collecting their nets, and everyone is working together. The fresh seafood is still alive and kicking when it is pulled ashore. The fishermen hurriedly pack up, and the seafood will be sent to the local market. People are looking forward to getting a good income.
Benin’s water village, Ganvie, is known as the “Venice of Africa”. People live on the water, which is very interesting. In the 17th century, during the Dahomey Dynasty, the entire kingdom was looking for captives and slaves to be transported to the Americas. In order to avoid being trafficked, the ancestors of the Ganviai mastered the water fighting skills and fled to the lake for refuge. This residence lasted for more than 200 years. Later, they did not leave the waters even though the government requested it.
The tour guide took us to the pier, which is very wide, where public and commercial ships can dock. It’s a great place to take videos and photos with a wide view. We chose to take a cruise to visit Ganvière. On the way to the water village, we saw some water huts, all built of straw and wood. This is the foothold of fishermen for fishing. The shallow water area is surrounded by coconut leaves, and the fish are in Feed and reproduce inside. Slowly, you can see the water stilt houses appear, and the water channel gradually narrows, which means that the water village has arrived. The houses here are supported by special wooden piles, and the shops and restaurants are built on wooden boats. Occasionally, women can be seen wading through the water with food on their heads; on both sides of the river, floating shops can be seen everywhere, and the boats are full of their own goods. , there are several cauldrons on the boat with food in them.
On the boat, we passed schools, churches, health centers, and also visited bars, restaurants, hotels and other essential places for life. In the center of the village is the Royal Square, where stands the statue of the first king of Ganvière. The water village is very big, I just visited a few main places on a horseback. Two hours passed quickly, and I left the water village and returned to the pier. Although it is a pity that I couldn’t visit in depth, the strange life of the Gangwei people in the water village The way it still left a deep impression on me.
Part02 Vader: The Birthplace of Voodoo
Vida, a port city in the south of Benin, 40 kilometers from Cotonou. From Cotonou to Vida, the yellow sand is overwhelming, you must close the windows of the car, otherwise you will be full of yellow sand all the way down. After arriving at Vader, and looking around, we found the target – the Door of No Return, an arch of concrete and bronze that commemorates the people who were trafficked around in the sinful slave trade. During the Dahomey Dynasty (1625~1900), the rulers of the dynasty sold slaves to Europe and other countries for huge profits. Vida was one of the main ports for the slave trade at that time.
Slaves were chained, placed on cargo ships, and embarked on the road of no return, so this arch was called the “gate of no return”.
Usually there are not many tourists who do not return, but because Benin is the cradle of voodoo, on January 10th every year, people from all over the world who want to see voodoo gather here. Voodoo, also known as “voodoo”, is a primitive religion that combines ancestor worship, animism, and spiritualism. It originated in West Africa. Benin is the origin of voodoo. Ning’s people believe in voodoo, so voodoo is also the state religion of Benin.
Since 1998, the voodoo festival in Benin has been held on January 10 every year. At this time, believers will wear special costumes and hold sacrificial activities. During our time at Vader, we were fortunate enough to participate in a Voodoo festival. On a makeshift stage, people passionately performed a voodoo dance—prayer dance. Every movement of the dance was full of power, making people want to follow along. jump. The believers participating in the festival are dressed in costumes, and women wear tube tops and necklaces. The number of necklaces determines their identity and status.
Men will carry a small scepter, which is also a status symbol. People would bow down to people of high status and kiss their feet. The whole venue was crowded with people. Here, for the first time, I saw the voodoo sacrificial scene, which was mysterious and strange. As time passed, the crowd gradually dispersed, and three or five walked to the return gate of the port. In 2000, the Gate of Return was completed next to the Gate of No Return, which is to allow those souls who have disappeared in a foreign country to return to their hometown.
Voodoo Market at a Glance
At Vader, a friend arranged for me to experience a voodoo divination firsthand. My friend is about 60 years old, but she has a very young mentality. During Vida, we all stayed at her house. She has a house with a size of several hundred square meters, and the art from China or Africa is stacked in her house. I don’t know if she arranged it in advance or just on a whim. She brought in a voodoo wizard to tell us our fortunes. The wizard can only tell one fortune at a time, and my friends and I had to wait in line. Suddenly, the sky began to thunder and rain, and the atmosphere became subtle. When it was my turn, I entered the room, I saw the wizard sitting on the ground and asked me to re-throw the stone chain on the table, then I asked the wizard when he would find someone who would be with him for life, but the wizard did not give me the exact The answer is, it’s a pity. After the wizard fortune-telling was over, this friend took us to Vader’s voodoo market, just like in the novel and the movie, there are many dead animals and all kinds of strange things in this market, which are all voodoo Items used for worship.
Voodoo believe that pythons are the incarnation of the gods they worship
In Vida, a python temple was also built specifically for pythons
Pythons can roam freely in the temple
A white flag stands at the entrance of the Snake Temple
That’s a sign of voodoo
The Snake Temple is not big, with only one courtyard, where ceremonies and sacrifices can be held. There is a spired hut here. After entering, you will see a room of pythons, which makes people shudder. One part of the python temple is to take pictures with pythons, which is considered a “purification” by local believers. The staff will put the snake around the neck of the person, and feel the scales of the python rubbing against the skin.
Abomey’s Palace: Witnesses of Dying Dynasties
Abomey, located in the south of Benin, was built in the early seventeenth century. It is a distribution and processing center for oil palm, cotton and coffee. From the 17th century to the early 20th century, the Abomey Kingdom was the most powerful country in West Africa, and the Abomey Kingdom was the most culturally developed kingdom in the history of Benin. Therefore, Abomey was considered the birthplace of Benin culture. After the fall of the dynasty, only a relic of more than 40 hectares remained in the center of Abomey City, which contained 12 palaces built by successive kings of the Abomey Dynasty. These Abomey palaces are similar in architectural structure. In the palace area, each building has its own walls, forming 3 connected courtyards: the outer courtyard (also known as “Kepodoji”) is mainly used to hold ceremonial activities and military parades; an inner courtyard is used to distribute items ; another inner court leads directly to the bedroom of the king and queen. The same materials were used to build the palace: adobe exterior walls, thatched roofs, wooden and bamboo doors and windows, and the architectural style was exquisite and simple.
Abomey Historical Museum
It was renovated and rebuilt on the basis of the Abomey Palace.
It is one of the best-preserved museums in West Africa.
Covering an area of 44 hectares, surrounded by 4500 meters of earth walls
Entering the gate, the courtyard is spacious. It was the former palace of the ninth king, Gesso. At that time, the residents had to wait here to meet the king. Across the courtyard is the king’s inner palace, which contains several laterite-walled houses, and is the council hall and warehouse of Gesso. The first exhibition room of the museum is located in the council hall, which mainly displays the dresses and sedan chairs of the kings of the past dynasties, as well as various sacrificial utensils, tobacco bags and slippers used by the kings. Hundreds of colorful clay sculptures are embedded on the outside walls of the exhibition. The lines are simple and rough, and the red and green colors are distinct. Each clay sculpture describes a historical event, and the series of clay sculptures constitute a brief history of the Abomey Kingdom.
On the north side of the courtyard is the second exhibition room, which displays the thrones of the monarchs of the Abomey Dynasty. The thrones are carved out of whole wood, with symmetrical and meticulous patterns. Some of the thrones are cushioned with the skulls of conquered tribal leaders to show the king’s illustrious military exploits. The third exhibition room is the weapon room, which is located in the main palace of King Glelay. It displays weapons of the past dynasties, such as sheathed swords, wooden-handled spears, homemade cannons, and those used by the “women’s army” composed of young women when they resisted the colonial army. of machetes, and a captured cannon, etc. Due to the 1984 hurricane and erosion caused by environmental degradation, Abomey Palace suffered unprecedented damage. Today, the embossed terracotta walls are exposed to inclement weather, devoured by termites, so fragile that they are more easily damaged during the rainy season. In order to better protect the palace, the Abomey Palace was included in the World Heritage List and the World Heritage List in Danger by UNESCO in 1985, and has been supported and protected by international forces.
Although I have long since left Benin, where I have lived for four years
But the woman who danced wildly at the Voodoo festival
The wizard who told my fortune at the voodoo market
Huge python in python temple
The palace that witnessed the prosperity and decline of the Abomey Dynasty
I still remember it
Benin, a West African country, is not rich
but gentle and strong
Vibrant beautiful land
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