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Uru people: life on floating islands

CCTV.com

11-12-2016 01:05 BJT

Full coverage: Xi Visits Ecuador, Peru and Chile, Attends APEC Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping will make state visits to Ecuador, Peru and Chile from November 17th to the 23rd. Before his departure, let's take a sneak peek at one of the countries, Peru. Located on the border with Bolivia, Lake Titicaca is notable for being the largest lake in South America. There are over 70 floating islands on the lake and 270 households of Uru people living on them.

The Uru people live a happy and simple life on their floating artificial islands made of reeds on Lake Titicaca.

Most of the them still follow the original trade mode. They often prepare specialty food to exchange for daily necessities on each Sunday with the people on land.

"We go to the land once a week with fresh fish, dried fish and cooked fish to exchange goods, because we don't have farmland. We do this every week. We are happy to help each other," said Rita Suana, village head, Uruz Village.

Located on the border with Bolivia, Lake Titicaca is notable for being the largest lake in South America. There are over 70 floating islands on the lake and 270 households of Uru people living on them.

Located on the border with Bolivia, Lake Titicaca is notable for being the largest lake in South America. There are over 70 floating islands on the lake and 270 households of Uru people living on them.

The islands are hand-made from bundles of totora reeds. The Uru, a pre-Incan people, live in reed houses on these reed islands and travel in reed boats.

As the reeds at the bottoms of the islands rot away fairly quickly, new reeds are added to the top every several weeks.

"It can be used to make a roof, tents and many other things. This white part is our fruit. It's very delicious. When our children have a temperature, we cut it into pieces and put it onto their forehead," said Raúl Coila, a villager.

Some people have installed solar panels on their roofs, so that they can have electric lights and watch TV in the evening.

"We have been using candles and matches for light, but there are a lot of accidents. These solar panels are very important and useful for us. Now children can study in the evening calmly and we can make some handiwork as well," Suana said.

More than 40 floating islands have been open to tourists and the revenue from selling hand-made souvenirs has become their major income. And the Uru people say they are looking forward to a better life through having more communication with the world.

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