In the evening of the seventh day of the lunar new year in 1980, a member of the Yao ethnic group named Bu Xiaoqiu from Bawei Village in Guangxi's Rongshui Miao Autonomous County went to check a trap for prey. To his astonishment, he found a small 'wild man' caught in the trap. According to reports from China News Service journalist Li Yanzhu, Bu described this creature as over one meter tall, with a round head, human-like features including ears, eyes, and hands, and tearful eyes that seemed to plead with him. Lacking any animalistic traits, it appeared almost human. Bu believed this creature was the reincarnation of a friend who had passed away two months prior, and he softly murmured, 'If you don't harm me, I won't harm you. I will let you go!' He released the trap, and the small creature withdrew its injured finger and slowly walked away. If Bu had not been superstitious and had taken the creature home, perhaps the mystery of the 'wild man' could have been unraveled. Today, the mountainous forests at the junction of Guangxi, Guizhou, and Jiangxi have become a center for investigations into this phenomenon.
As time passes, the mystery of the wild man may one day be revealed.
Cangyuan in Yunnan is a multi-ethnic autonomous county of the Wa people, bordering Gengma and Ximeng, and adjacent to Myanmar. The region has a hot climate, abundant rainfall, and diverse plant life, making it an ideal ecological environment for the wild man's survival.
Li Yingchang, a Wa teacher at Siyong Primary School in Menglai Township, is a resourceful middle-aged man known for his sharp shooting skills. After the Spring Festival in 1980, during a collective hunting expedition in the mountains behind Qiuhei Village, he shot a strange animal he had never seen before. Its human-like appearance drew criticism from others, causing him great mental stress and fear of government repercussions. After some patient explanations from the commune's party secretary, he realized that clarifying this matter could contribute significantly to national scientific research. He and his wife recalled and detailed the encounter with the strange animal, submitting its left hand and some brain matter to the relevant authorities.
This incident occurred in early 1980 when the northern regions were still in the grip of winter, while the subtropical Cangyuan area was lush and warm.
Around January 20, another hunter named Tian Ruangmeng from Menglai Township went to guard crops in the mountains of Dake Mountain, known for his extensive hunting experience. He built a high lookout to observe wildlife. One day, while sitting in his lookout, he noticed fresh deer tracks and quickly prepared to ambush the deer. Just as he was about to shoot, a strange sight appeared: a hairy creature was riding on the back of the largest deer, making a loud noise and holding onto its neck. This bizarre sight left him stunned.
After the Spring Festival, Tian organized a hunting party with several young men from the village to surround the original forest of Dake Mountain. He strategically placed skilled shooters, including Li Yingchang, at key points. As gunshots rang out, they managed to kill a deer and a porcupine, but nothing stirred in front of Li. Suddenly, he heard rustling in the bushes, and a strange creature came running towards him, displaying human-like characteristics. Just as he was about to shoot, the creature noticed him and swiftly retreated, but he managed to shoot it as it turned to flee. The creature fell to the ground, bleeding.
When the others approached, they were shocked to find that the creature was not an ordinary wild man, but a humanoid animal resembling an old man, with long gray-black hair and human-like features. The villagers, breaking custom, decided not to eat this unusual animal. Li and the village accountant helped carry the creature home, weighing approximately 40 kilograms. After some preparation, the meat was found to be foul-smelling and was ultimately discarded. Li later dried the remaining meat, which took about a year to finish, leaving only the lower jawbone and left hand as mementos.
In January 1984, experts from various institutions confirmed the left hand specimen as belonging to a newly discovered species of gibbons, previously unrecorded in China. This discovery brought significant acclaim to the researchers involved.
The local population mistook the large gibbon for a wild man due to its human-like appearance. Further investigations revealed that in August 1982, a Wa villager named Bao Laoda captured a creature referred to as 'Gu,' which resembled an elderly person and exhibited behaviors similar to humans. Other hunters reported capturing multiple 'Gu' creatures, which displayed social behaviors and lived in groups, leading to speculation about their origins and nature.
In the Gongche area, there have been numerous encounters with the wild man, with one notable case involving a young Wa boy named Wei Limeng, who described a terrifying encounter with a wild man resembling the ones spoken of in local legends. Another incident involved Hu Derun, who encountered a wild woman while guarding crops, further fueling the lore surrounding these enigmatic beings.
Scholars believe that there may be two distinct types of wild men in Cangyuan: a smaller variety, typically between 1.5 to 1.8 meters tall, and a larger variety, reaching around 2 meters in height. Both types are thought to emerge during specific seasons to search for food or mates. The ongoing investigations and personal accounts continue to add layers to the mystery of the wild men in Guangxi and Yunnan.
