The Naxi Nationality

The Naxis, with a population of more than 270,000, are mainly distributed in the Lijiang Naxi Autonomous County in Yunan Province. The nationality has a language of her own in both spoken and written form that identifies with the Yi branch of the Tibeto-Burman family in the Sino-Tibetan laguage system. As early as 1,000 years ago, the Naxi people had already created pictographic characters called Dongba script, the only living pictographic writing system in the world today. The Naxi forebears left their descendants with a rich, unique cultural "Dongba" heritage enriched by assimilating many foreign elements.

On the majestic plateau in the northwest of Yunnan Province, the Yangtze River, (known here as Jinsha River), takes a sharp turn surging and roaming past the steep mountains that cage it. The complicated geographical conditions as well as the various climates of the region along the river banks give birth to a rich variety of plants. The Naxi people live in the very area which enjoys the reputation of a " flora bank."

Since ancient times, the town of Lijiang has been the cultural and economic center of the Naxi region. Four main streets meet at the town center. Radiating from here is a spider-wed-like network of roads and lanes that lead everywhere in the town. Springs and streams run all over it, connecting almost each household. All the paths are paved with stone and water is flushed at regular intervals to wash the ground so that it always remains clean.

The Naxis' houses mostly take the distinctive mode of the three-room compound building with a screen-wall called Zhaobi, and a courtyard attached to it. The three rooms - namely, the main room, the east room and the west room - stand in row facing the south, and further south are the Zhaobi and the courtyard. People live in the main room, above which is a storage area used mainly as a granary. The whole building is compactly constructed and is often elaborately adorned. Rich families, either in the town or the countryside, are especially particular about the "looks" of their houses. Doors, windowsills, eaves and pillars are all bright colored. Human figures, birds, beasts, insects and even theme stories become the objects of the decorative carvings on the wooden structure. Walls are embellished by paintings and works of calligraphy, carpets and pavings with fine decorative patterns. Miniª²landscape, various flowers, bamboo trees and many other kinds of plants are all used to beautify the residential settings.
Agriculture production begun early in Naxi's history. The Naxis' eating habits are simple and economical. Spicy food and preserved meat must be included in their everyday diet. The best of Naxi food specialties is the famous Lijiang Baba, a kind of pancake made of Lijiang wheat flour seasoned with such ingredients as ham, sugar, Chinese prickly ash, round cardamon, chopped green onion and lard.

Naxi women living in Lijiang District typically dress in wide-sleeved short and loose jackets, and pleated aprons. They often wear a sheep skin stole over the shoulder, on which seven round patterns representing severn stars are embroidered, symbolizing the remarkable capacity and the hardª²working spirit of the Naxi women. Women in Ninglang County prefer to wear long pleated skirts reaching the ground.

The Naxis' ethnic epic says that their ancestors came from the far north. Whenever old people died, they would make a journey back to the north to seek their root. Only the Dongbas, referring to sages or those resourceful wizards, knew how to accomplish the long, hard journey. Almost all the Dongbas are versatile scholars, expert in writing, painting, singing and dancing. They play the role of developing, transmitting and, above all, inheriting Naxi's ancient Dongba culture.

The Dongba characters are a rare pictograhic script still in use today. The classical work Dongba Jing written in the language consists of more than 1,000 volumes covering an amazingly wide range of knowledge or subjects: the origin of the human kind, social history, animal husbandry, religion, philosophy, linguistics, astronomy, geology, arts, literature, medical science, and relations between ethnic groups. Of these volumes, the most outstanding one is the heroic epic titled Congbangtong. It deals with the creation of the world from a unique point of view held by the Naxi people. It also touches upon many philosophical issues in classic Naxi dialectical wit showing the deep insights of the ancient Naxi culture.

The Lugu Lake, located in Ninglang County to the north of Lijiang, is a fantastic scenic spot famous for its beautiful crystalª²clear water, green surronding mountains, and the fascinating shades of colors reflected upon them. The Mosuos, a clan of the Naxis who live by the lake, still observe some of the family and marriage customs prevailing in the matriarchal society. Families are orgnized on the basis of matriarchal system and the family property is inherited in favor of female members. The Mosuos' marriage customs are dubbed "Azhu Mating," in which women enjoys more freedom over men in regard to choosing their partners. According to the custom, woman lives all her life with her relatives on the maternal side, while her "betterª²half" meets at her residence only as a visitor. The right to end the relationship lies often in her hands.

The Naxis take great pleasure in listening to their folk music, the Lijiang music. Whenever it is possible, they will always find time to enjoy it. Along with the Dongba character, Dongba scripture and the Dongba dance, Lijiang music is regarded as a "living fossil" in human cultural history. Chanting is the main form of performance of the music, which includes nearly thirty kinds of melodies, includling the deep and low heavenª²worshiping tune with a strong rhythm, and the highª²pitched, dreamª²like lyrical tune for wind worshiping. They give an expression to the Naxi people's longing for the heavenly bliss and freedom.

Instruments played in the performance of the music are manifold and full of local sounds. They are the bamboo flute, kouxian(a string played by the mouth), the yak-horn bugle, the white sea-shell trumpet, the spotted conch, the hand-drum, the swinging bell and mangluo(a gong). When played together, the instruments make a strongly appealing sound that could merge the audience whole-heartedly into the profound, enchanting realm of the ancient Naxi culture.

The tourist industry prospers in the Naxi region thanks to China's "open-door" policy. The Naxi people begin to harvest economic as well as social benefits as a result. In December, 1997, UNESCO listed Lijiang as one of the most important world's culture relics to be protected.