By: Wendy Ji

GALA AND LANG:A TALE OF AN UNORTHODOX FRIENDSHIP

• Gala grew up in China during the Yuan Dynasty. Her dad was an influential Mongol warrior and her mom was a

member of a hunting party.

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• Though the Mongols and Chinese were forbidden to associate with each other, Gala soon became close

friends with a Chinese girl named Lang.

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• Lang’s dad was a Confucian scholar and her mom stayed at home to take care of her and her siblings.

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• Gala and Lang both would have gotten in extreme trouble if either of their parents found out about their

friendship, so they kept it a secret.

• Gala and Lang spent time together whenever they could. Though they were from two extremely different cultures,

their differences had never negatively affect their friendship.

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• For Lang’s sixth birthday, Gala decided to borrow her dad’s horse and let Lang ride it as a present. Gala’s dad

had taught her how to ride when she was just a little girl, so it was second nature to her.

• On Lang’s birthday, she came over to the meadow where the two friends often played walking very

strangely. Gala asked, “What’s wrong Lang?”

• Lang proudly told Gala about how it was tradition in her family for the women to have their feet bound on their

sixth birthday, and now she was finally old enough to be a part of that tradition.

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• Gala couldn’t understand why someone would want to have their freedom restricted; their toes bent and wrapped with cloth. Lang told her that her mom said smaller feet would get her a better husband and would make her more attractive.

• Gala and Lang decided not to ride Gala’s horse that day and instead sat down in the field and played in the wild

grasses. Lang would be coming back tomorrow and there would be more time for them to ride then anyways.

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• The next day, Lang arrived late to their play date. Gala was starting to get upset then she saw Lang limping

over the hill. Lang said she could no longer play tag or ride horses with Gala anymore since her feet were

hurting a lot.

• From that point on, the two young girls began drifting apart. Gala became more interesting in hunting and

exploring the town, while Lang was more content staying at home and helping her mom with household duties.

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• The two girls didn’t meet each other again until several years later. Gala at this point was married to a man in

her hunting party, owned her own plot of land, and going to enlist in the Mongol army. Lang had married an upper-

class man, had two children, and stayed at home to raise her family.

• Despite their differences, the two girls secretly met once more in the meadow and reminisced on past memories

and all of their shared childhood experiences.