Fudan University professor Ge Jianxiong said Guizhou's Tunpu culture emerged from exchanges and collisions between different cultures.

Tunpu, literally meaning fortified villages, refers to settlements created when Ming-era (1368-1644) soldiers were sent to guard and farm in Guizhou.

"They had relatively little contact with the outside world, so their culture endured and became a living relic," Ge said.

He added that the traditions the Tunpu people brought with them changed as they adapted to local conditions and, through interactions with Guizhou's many ethnic groups, evolved into the distinctive Tunpu culture seen today.