Hutcheon: For a hundred years or more, this lighthouse told seafarers they were near to a part of the coast that time neglected.
It became less remote, but still few drifted this way, unless their business was with the sea.
Nowadays, like many counties in Chinas south-east, its in the grip of a local building boom. And its beginning to transform the fabric of this once rock solid society.
Hutcheon: The road to Dazha is like being on a half built movie set buildings, buildings everywhere made without a single brick.
Hutcheon: The ground is some of the firmest terrain in the country. Foundations even an earthquake would have difficulty shaking.
Hutcheon: The granite which has built every house in the village of Dazha comes from the surroundings. For hundreds of years, villagers have quarried these hills, extracting stone, not just for their own use, but for sale further afield. Its a traditional livelihood thats remained virtually unchanged despite the passing of time.
The granite is blasted, chiselled and chipped from the ground, a skilful task taken on by the menfolk. But in a country were women are supposed to hold up half the sky, someone forgot to tell the granite women. Because in Dazha, this is how its done.
Rong Hua: Weve been lifting stones since we were very young. You can do it if you begin from childhood. But you didnt start young so you cant do it.
Hutcheon: Shes referring to me the hack who can barely shift a 20 kilo lump of rock something Chen Rong Hua does day in, day out.
Hutcheon: Can we try to lift this one?
Rong Hua had no schooling, married at 16, and like many of the women here, didnt live with her husband or become pregnant for almost 10 years, so she could keep carrying granite.
Down in the quarry, her partner chisels away at the blocks his wife and her friends will carry. He clearly doesnt like to say a lot.
Hutcheon: So do you carry any of these stones?
Man: I chip stones. I dont carry them. Our women here are better at working than men. Women are good at carrying things.
Hutcheon: Back in the village, the work ethic persists, as it has done for centuries.
But the economic reforms, slow to arrive in this feudal outpost, are gradually making their mark.
Hutcheon: Dong Meis family owns a general shop. At 20, shes had just four years of school, more than most women her age, and enough for her to know what she doesnt want.
Dong Mei: I think dressing up like that is very ugly. If someone likes it, she dresses up. I dont like it, so I dont dress up.
Hutcheon: Outside the shop, her mother and grandmother, granite lifters all their lives, now spend time more serenely, sorting clams.
Mum: Thereve been great changes. Before, we had to wear this big headdress and all the traditional costume. Yet we had to carry baskets, and go to work. Each generation is different. Clothes have changed thereve been many changes since the start of Chinas economic reforms.
Hutcheon: The Communist Partys drive to provide basic education in remote areas, particularly for girls, is helping to seal the fate of Dazhas menfolk.
The tools which have shaped the stone that built the village, are slowly losing their power. And, as the money continues to flow in, so do the changes.
Hutcheon: Do the women work harder than the men here?
Rong Hua: Very, very hard.
Hutcheon: Harder than the men?
Rong Hua: Yes, of course.
Hutcheon: Do you feel sad that the tradition is dying out?
Dong Mei: Do I feel sad? No, Im not sad Im very happy! Im very happy that feudalism is disappearing.
Music
Hutcheon: Late afternoon, and time for the fishermen to set out again.
The women load up the ice, the men go out to sea a daily pattern repeated, a way of life fewer and fewer women are choosing to follow.
For certain, in years to come, while the village might look the same, the women wont be.
It became less remote, but still few drifted this way, unless their business was with the sea.
Nowadays, like many counties in Chinas south-east, its in the grip of a local building boom. And its beginning to transform the fabric of this once rock solid society.
Hutcheon: The road to Dazha is like being on a half built movie set buildings, buildings everywhere made without a single brick.
Hutcheon: The ground is some of the firmest terrain in the country. Foundations even an earthquake would have difficulty shaking.
Hutcheon: The granite which has built every house in the village of Dazha comes from the surroundings. For hundreds of years, villagers have quarried these hills, extracting stone, not just for their own use, but for sale further afield. Its a traditional livelihood thats remained virtually unchanged despite the passing of time.
The granite is blasted, chiselled and chipped from the ground, a skilful task taken on by the menfolk. But in a country were women are supposed to hold up half the sky, someone forgot to tell the granite women. Because in Dazha, this is how its done.
Rong Hua: Weve been lifting stones since we were very young. You can do it if you begin from childhood. But you didnt start young so you cant do it.
Hutcheon: Shes referring to me the hack who can barely shift a 20 kilo lump of rock something Chen Rong Hua does day in, day out.
Hutcheon: Can we try to lift this one?
Rong Hua had no schooling, married at 16, and like many of the women here, didnt live with her husband or become pregnant for almost 10 years, so she could keep carrying granite.
Down in the quarry, her partner chisels away at the blocks his wife and her friends will carry. He clearly doesnt like to say a lot.
Hutcheon: So do you carry any of these stones?
Man: I chip stones. I dont carry them. Our women here are better at working than men. Women are good at carrying things.
Hutcheon: Back in the village, the work ethic persists, as it has done for centuries.
But the economic reforms, slow to arrive in this feudal outpost, are gradually making their mark.
Hutcheon: Dong Meis family owns a general shop. At 20, shes had just four years of school, more than most women her age, and enough for her to know what she doesnt want.
Dong Mei: I think dressing up like that is very ugly. If someone likes it, she dresses up. I dont like it, so I dont dress up.
Hutcheon: Outside the shop, her mother and grandmother, granite lifters all their lives, now spend time more serenely, sorting clams.
Mum: Thereve been great changes. Before, we had to wear this big headdress and all the traditional costume. Yet we had to carry baskets, and go to work. Each generation is different. Clothes have changed thereve been many changes since the start of Chinas economic reforms.
Hutcheon: The Communist Partys drive to provide basic education in remote areas, particularly for girls, is helping to seal the fate of Dazhas menfolk.
The tools which have shaped the stone that built the village, are slowly losing their power. And, as the money continues to flow in, so do the changes.
Hutcheon: Do the women work harder than the men here?
Rong Hua: Very, very hard.
Hutcheon: Harder than the men?
Rong Hua: Yes, of course.
Hutcheon: Do you feel sad that the tradition is dying out?
Dong Mei: Do I feel sad? No, Im not sad Im very happy! Im very happy that feudalism is disappearing.
Music
Hutcheon: Late afternoon, and time for the fishermen to set out again.
The women load up the ice, the men go out to sea a daily pattern repeated, a way of life fewer and fewer women are choosing to follow.
For certain, in years to come, while the village might look the same, the women wont be.