Award: Documentary Award

Time: 1997-2000
Place: Yaozhou District, Tongchuan, Shanxi, China
Nationality: Han

Yaozhou District of Tongchuan in Shanxi Province is situated on the edge of central China . The stoves used here are made of earth or bricks. Smoke from the cooking stoves curls up in the sky of villages at dinner when the laborers smell the delicious taste of the food on returning to home form the fields.

Villagers have deep feelings in their cooking stoves that they rely much on. On the 23rd day of the lunar month, people in this area hold the yearly kitchen god offering ceremony by putting food such as cooking sweets, steamed twisted rolls, fruits on stoves to the kitchen god, hoping that the kitchen god will give them good luck and nice harvest and bless all the people.