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The Lisu Nationality
With a population of about 570,000, the Lisu
people mainly live in concentrated communities in Bijing, Fugong, Gongshan
and Lushi counties of Nujing Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, in Yunnan province.
The Lisu people have their own language which belongs to the Yi branch
of the Tibeto-Burman group of the Sino-Tibetan language family. A new
written form was created in 1957. Making a living from farming, the
friendly Lisu people are fond of dancing and singing.
The rolling Nujing River in Yunnan Province goes
straight down the valleys of the two mountains, Bilouxueshan and Gongshan,
as if the Milky Way were flowing down from the sky. In these dangerous
valleys, live over 570,000 Lisu people whose ancestors determined to
start life in this area in the middle of the 16th century.
Although the high mountains and rolling river have helped develop the
Lisus' courage and tenacity, they have also held back their economic
progress. Up to the 50s, the Lisu people had lived under feudalism controlled
by landlords. Some customs connected with this outmoded communal system
remain.
The Lisu people live in bamboo houses in concentrated communities. The
houses are usually built on sloping ground at the foot of a hill. The
most common is a two-room bungalow. The inner room is used as a bedroom;
the outer has a stove at the centre. The houses are surrounded by fields
of cereal crops which farm the major part of their diet.
The Lisu people used to wear clothes of handmade cloth. All the girls
have to learn spinning and weaving at eleven or twelve years old. The
distinctive women's clothes used to be of three types according to colour_
white, black and mixed. Now the women living in the valleys of Nujing
River wear short jackets and long skirt which are trimmed with lace
around the hem. Lisu men like to wear a knife on the left of waist and
carry a bag on the right filled with bow and arrows. They wear short
jackets and the trousers are shortened for kneeling easily.
As a popular saying goes in the area, on a mountain, you can find all
four seasons at any one time. Because of the changeable weather and
climate in these mountainous areas, the Lisu people have created a nature
calendar that divides the year into ten seasonal months.
The new year is celebrated during the season when the cherry trees are
in full blossom. On the festive day, in addition to other celebrations,
the Lisu people go to bathe in the hot springs along the banks of the
Nujing River. Some stay near the springs for a few days and bathe five
or six times a day because they believe bathing there will drive away
diseases and brings spiritual benefit.
The Lisu people hold their traditional Sword_bladefestival annually
on the 8th of February, estimated according to lunar calendar. Originally
the festival was held to commemorate a patriotic general fighting against
invaders, but now it has developed into a folk sport gathering. When
the day comes, people from different areas gather at a site where stand
two tree trunks, each over twenty metres. Thirtysix long swords are
placed between the two trunks horizontally, edge up. With the accompaniment
of gongs, drums and firecrackers, the competitor jumps barefooted onto
the first blade, holding fast to a higher sword. He then begins to climb
up with the help of Qiqong to support his feet. Once at the top, he
is required to climb back down, row by row. It is a fearsome sport!
However, the winner of the competition is admired and respected by the
Lisu people, who usually wins the love of a beatiful lady.
Like other nationalities living in mountainous areas, the Lisu people
love music. Their deep, solid voices and short thrumming notes speak
of the inner strength of the mountain. The fourstring "Pipa"
has a wide musical arrange and is used to accompany Lisu dances. Portable
mouth harps with a soft tone are the favorite of young Lisu people.
Influenced by the belief that everything in the universe has a spirit,
Lisu wizards have played an important role in society . They cast spells
on evil spirits and serve the local people as doctors.
The valleys of the Nujiang River, long ago given a home to the Lisu
people , are changing with the development of mining, forestry, hydroelectricity,
business and trade. The Lisu people are now aware of these benefits
for themselves and for the country as a whole.
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