Maori People’s Warm Friendship Recalled

In 1981， at the invitation of the New Zealand-China Friendship Association， I had a chance to join a delegation headed by then CPAFFC President Wang Bingnan to pay my first visit to New Zealand.

There， the CPAFFC delegation was accorded a warm and friendly reception， particularly by the Maori people.

They are New Zealand’s aboriginal people， belonging to the Polynesian race. Since the beginning of the 19th Century， great numbers of Europeans migrated to New Zealand， mostly from Britain. The proportion of Maori people in the population gradually declined， and now it accounts for less than 10 percent. However， it is commendable that the Maoris retain their own life style and customs， and have their own spoken and written language. In 1987， the New Zealand Government stipulated English and Maori as the country’s official languages

Many Maori people believe their ancestors came from Asia. There is much resemblance between them and Chinese in facial features and complexion. That’s why they have an intimate feeling towards Chinese visitors.

We visited a Maori village near Auckland. The local Maori chief held a traditional ceremony to welcome us in a hillside courtyard where the Maoris often gathered. The courtyard was surrounded by a wall made of tree trunks. At the centre was an ancestral hall (the Marae)， in front of which were standing dozens of young Maori men and women in two lines. The men were bare to the waist and wore straw skirts， and the chapleted women wore home-woven skirts. They sang and danced while shouting loudly. When the dance was over， two elders eulogized their ancestry in a conversational style in their native language and made an address to welcome us.

Then， all the Maoris shook our hands vigorously and performed the traditional greeting of hongi， in which each of them， with eyes closed tightly， pressed his/her forehead against ours; then， both sides pressed their noses together three times. The host told us that this kind of ceremony was performed only for the most honored guests.

Before we left China， our old New Zealand friend Rewi Alley living in Beijing told us in detail about this traditional Maori greeting， so we didn’t feel embarrassed when it was performed.

The last part of the welcoming ceremony was to give gifts to each other. The gift should be put on the ground first， and then the recipient should pick it up by himself; anything else would be thought impolite.

After the welcoming ceremony， the host invited us to enter the Marae. It is a place where the Maori worship their ancestors and have meetings， and outsiders usually are not allowed to enter. On its inside walls， eaves and corners were carved many portraits of ancestors， each having different facial expressions， absolutely lifelike， showing the Maori’s superb carving art. The host told us stories about every ancestor.

Another important function of this place is as a venue for mediating disputes. The two sides in dispute are allowed to quarrel in the Marae， but when the mediator has made a decision， they must abide by it. After walking out of the Marae， they should not mention again what was said inside.

To return the Maori people’s warm reception and enhance understanding and friendship between the Chinese and Maori people， Wang Bingnan， on behalf of the CPAFFC， invited the community to organize delegations to visit China at their convenience.