Editor's Note:
The barren land of Xinye county, Central China’s Henan Province, offers little to its occupants. At the mercy of the elements, most villagers have no choice but eke out a meager living with farm work.
However in the off seasons, some locals turn to another, more lucrative trade.
Baowan village and Jiwan village are known for churning out monkey buskers. With monkeys in tow, villagers travel across the country performing “monkey busking tricks.”
Some more experienced monkey buskers have traveled as far as Vietnam and Myanmar.
Four monkey buskers were detained in July 2014 when performing with six trained monkeys on the streets of Mudanjiang city in Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, because they did not have a wildlife transportation license.
The four were convicted of “illegally transporting rare wild animals” by a local court on September 23, 2014.
The group appealed the decision, which was reversed by a Xinye county court on January 20. The case attracted widespread attention from the public. Some called on authorities to pass laws that allow the tradition of monkey busking to continue. However, many suspected the trainers of animal abuse.
The earliest accounts of monkey busking occurred in the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220). With a history of around 2,000 years, the practice was listed as an intangible cultural heritage by Henan Province in June 2009.
At its height, there were around 10,000 monkey buskers in Xinye. But after 2000, increased restrictions resulted in a sharp decline in performers. Currently there are only around 1,000.
Photographer Ma Hongjie began photographing monkey buskers from Baowan village after meeting performer Yang Lingui in 2002. He followed Yang’s group for 12 years, capturing their joys and sorrows with his camera.
Monkey buskers wait outside the Xiangfan Railway Station in Central China’s Hubei Province to hop a train to Chengdu, Sichuan Province in October 2002. Monkey buskers often sneak on trains to save money. 
A group of monkey buskers hop a train. 
Yang Lingui sleeps in a train car. 
Yang Lingui and his monkey watch passing trains on their way to Chengdu. 
Yang’s monkeys eat steamed buns under an elevated road in Chengdu. The group of eight travelers slept under the elevated road after they arrived to a rainy Chengdu at 2 am. 
Tired from their journey, the group sits on a discarded sofa early the next morning after their arrival in Chengdu. Yang said he found the sofa on the way to buy salt. 
A security guard orders Yang to stop his performance, arguing that monkeys are protected animals in Chengdu.
With only 50 yuan ($7.99) between them, the group of monkey buskers had to earn some money as soon as possible. Yang started to perform outside a development zone on Qingjiang Lu, which attracted many onlookers. Around 10 minutes later the security guard came and stopped it.
Yang and his monkeys perform a routine with a toy gun on a Chengdu street. 
Yang counts his day’s earnings. 
Yang stops for a smoke as others prepare dinner in an abandoned house in Daxian county, Southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality.
Daxian was the end of their tour. After 75 days and 1,000 kilometers, each person earned about 800 yuan ($127.92).
A man attempts to stop Yang’s performance in Daxian county, accusing him of animal abuse. 
Yang and his monkeys perform on the streets of Daxian. 
Yang shows his earnings hidden in dried steamed buns. Yang explained he stashes his money in order to prevent from being robbed by armed thieves or punished by law enforcement. 
Yang and his son make an offering to folk god of animals during their journey in Sichuan Province.
According to Chinese legend, Wuchuniangniang rules over all the animals on Earth. Farmers raising livestock often make offerings to her with prayers for wealth.
Yang kneels in worship at a small shrine for the God of Wealth early on Spring Festival, 2005 in South China’s Guangdong Province. It was the first time Yang’s group spend their Spring Festival away from home. 
A monkey busker shares his food with his monkeys. 
Yang performs in an industrial development zone in Dongguan, Guangdong Province. Many migrant labors working in the area are unable to return home for the Spring Festival. 
Yang quarrels with a man during a performance in Dongguan. The man, seen holding handcuffs, ordered Yang to leave the area but did not offer identification showing his authority. 
Yang pushes his monkeys on a bicycle in South China’s Guangdong Province in November 2007. 
Yang searches for a train to hop to reach his next destination. 
Yang and his monkey perform with knives at a street market. 
Yang stands with his hired farmhands on the land he rents in Xinyue county. 
Yang digs a grave for one of his monkeys that died. Yang said monkey buskers are devastated to see their monkeys die. Yang said traveling to perform has been getting more difficult as he gets older. He plans to breed monkeys in the future.
