2000年后再次进入布拖彝人聚居地还得从20年前说起。1985年，我在某报当摄影记者，被派往布拖拍摄火把节。那时的布拖县城很小，十字街道，横竖百十米。街上只有少数几间供销社的百货店和干杂铺，卖些日用品和散装白酒、油盐酱醋之类的商品。最热闹的当数主街路口的县文化馆，馆内在排练火把节演出的彝族舞蹈，吸引了众多肩披察尔瓦的彝族青年和手撑黄色油布伞身穿鲜艳百褶裙的彝族姑娘，非常惹眼。百十米长的县城大街上三五成群的彝族姑娘们往来穿梭，街沿边数百双眼睛随着她们轻盈的脚步不停的转动……偶尔有人手提时尚的单卡录音机出现，引起众人艳羡的目光。
　　时至1985年，改革开放的春风在内陆吹起也不过三五年，布拖县的土地承包刚进入第二个年头。彝族百姓在土地承包的政策实施初期,释放出压抑了多年的劳动热情,生产力得到极大提高，较之过去生活有了较大的改善，从大街上游走的男女青年的状态已可见一斑。说实话，我当时非常羡慕他们，因为我们虽然生活在城市，月收入也不过50多元，一家三口吃饭穿衣就所剩无几，消费不起时髦的单卡录音机，更很难有穿着新衣在大街上无忧无虑游走的闲情。城里人的优越感在那个年代几乎为零。当时的布拖县县委书记王令禄告诉我：“土地承包以后，彝族百姓的生活比过去好了很多，他们现在的日子比县委一般工作人员还好过。”
　　1985年后我又多次去了布拖。那几年县里的乡镇企业红红火火，皮革厂、酒厂、钨金矿此起彼伏，县城虽没有太大的变化，但大街上随处可见时髦的商品广告、商店增加了不少。我特地去了拖觉、特木里的一些乡村，生产方式和生活方式如同过去几年所见的差不多，还是马拉牛犁，人畜混居，没有太大的变化，不过坝子里的村子已出现了拖拉机，彝人百姓的生活状况却比过去好了很多，改革开放初期给彝族百姓带来了非常具体的实惠。

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　　　　Butuo in 80s last Century

　　While making my way to Butuo in 2000, I recalled my first trip there in 1985. I was then a photographic journalist and was sent there by my news agency to take pictures during the local torch festival. The county seat then was very small, composed of a simple street junction, extending around 100 meters or so in each direction with a few stores and groceries selling daily articles, unbottled liquor and other necessities including edible oil, salt, vinegar and, of course, tea. The busiest part of the town was definitely the cultural center at the junction of the streets where the Yi dances to celebrate the torch festival were rehearsing. This attracted a number of Yi young men wearing stylish mantles- known as “chaerwa”and Yi girls adorned with colorful pleated skirts and holding yellow tarpaulin umbrellas. On the streets the gorgeously dressed Yi girls moved around in groups, while passengers and onlookers feasted their eyes on this spectacle. Occasionally someone showed off a then fashionable single cass ette tape recorder, drawing envious looks.
　　By the year 1985, just a few years after the heraldic opening and reform in the country and the second year following the land contracting system was practiced in Butuo county, the Yi people were aroused of their great working enthusiasm and productivity that had been restrained for years. As a result, their living standard had been remarkably improved. This was evidenced by the young men and women roving around and creating colorful street views. In fact, I envied them very much. Though living in a big city, my monthly salary was only a little more than 50 yuan, barely enough to maintain the living necessities of a family of 3. I could not afford to buy a then fashionable single cassette tape recorder, let alone leading a pastime like the well dressed Yi young people there. The feeling of superiority from a big city was next to zero. Wang Linglu, then Secretary of the CPC Committee in Butuo county told me:”the land contracting system has benefited the Yi people a great deal. Their living condition became even better than the average workers with the county CPC committee offices.”
　　Following my visit in 1985, I went to Butuo several times in the next few years and found the township industries such as feather factories, liquor distilleries and tungsten ore mines spreading here and there in the county rose rapidly. Though there was no tremendous change in the county seat, the number of stores increased dramatically and fashionable commodities could be seen everywhere. In particular, I reached some townships and villages in Tuojiao and Temuli where I didn’t see great change in the style of Yi life and mode of their productions. However, tractors were first seen in the valley plain and, in general, the living conditions of the Yi improved a great deal. They were substantially benefited in the early stages of reform.

文章来源：《布拖记事---大凉山腹地彝人生活实录》