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The Pumi Nationality
The Pumis, with a population of nearly 30,000,
mainly live in Lanping, Lijiang, Yongsheng and Ninglang counties of
northwestern Yunnan province, with a minority scattered over several
counties in Sichuan province. While having their own spoken language
that belongs to the Qiang branch of the Tibeto-Burman family in the
SinoTibetan language system, most of them use Mandarin Chinese for
writing. The Pumis largely engage in arable farming. The majority of
them are polytheistic and believe in ancestral worship, while some of
them believe in Tibetan Buddhism.
A continuous stretch of age-old mountains dominates
the landscape in the northwestern part of China's Yunnan province. Among
the mountains are Laojun (meaning "the elderly") and Maoniu
(meaning "yak"). The two, covered with evergreen pine and
cypress and veiled in white clouds, enjoy a nationwide reputation for
their fine scenery. Hidden deep in the mountains is an area that presents
an even more beautiful vista fostered by the crystal-clear Lugu Lake
dotted with fishing boats. To people of the Pumi nationality, the lush-green
mountains and the clear waters are not only the work of nature but also
the source of their lives.
Most Pumi villages are located on gentle slopes of mountains. The houses
where the Pumis live are generally wooden structures with walls of logs
laid one upon another, and a roof made of wood planks. Round pillars
stand in the four corners of the house and a square one is erected in
the center. The Pumis call the latter the "heaven-propping pole"
because, they believe, this is the place the gods haunt. The door usually
faces North, and near the door on the right is the fire. There is the
family shrine behind the fire, and beds near it. Outside the door, sheep
and cattle heads are hung above to show the family's wealth as well
as to ward off evil spirits.
The Pumis mainly eat maize as a staple to their diet. Zhubiao Meat (pork
fat) is a specialflavored dish unique to the nationality. It is prepared
by removing the internal organs and bones from a whole butchered pig,
seasoning the remaining carcass, sealing the opening and then drying
it in the air. The Pumis consider the cooked pork a superb dish with
which to treat their guests. They also like to eat the pig's head. The
Pumis' delicious stewed head meat is well known not only in the Pumi
region but also outside of the area. In every household the day before
the Lunar New Year's Eve, meat of this kind is prepared and cut into
pieces. These dishes are to be presented to the elder members of the
family, to close relatives who are far away from home during the festival,
as well as to the married daughter(s) of the family.
The Pumi men's traditional costumes include a short linen, cotton or
felt jacket with a sheepskin waistcoat, loose-legged trousers and felt
puttees. They hang a knife to the waist and wear homemade leather shoes.
Women's clothes vary from place to place. Some wrap big white scarves
around the head and wear jackets with slanted openings on the right
side to go with pleated skirts. They weave yak wool and silk threads
into braids of their hair and make a knot of it on top of the head.
The thicker and blacker their hair is, the more beautiful it is considered.
In addition, long and wide waistbands of red, green, blue or yellow,
and other colors, are also used by them for decoration.
According to an ancient custom, ceremonies are held on Pumi's New Year
Day for thirteen year olds to mark the beginning of an important stage
in their lives-puberty. The person in charge of the ceremony must be
the child's mother or maternal uncle. During the ceremony, the child
is expected to step on fat pork and a grain sack that symbolize wealth
and harvests. Amongst the wizard's hymns of prayers to the fire god
and ancestral deities, the boy is dressed up in short jackets and trousers
while the girl is dressed in a pleated skirt. The youngster also has
to kowtow and present toasts to the relatives and friends as an expression
of gratitude. After that, the child is supposed to have a free access
to various social activities as an adult.
For young Pumis, the traditional routine from seeking a spouse to the
completion of the wedding ceremony, is a long, complex process. The
Pumis attach much importance to the designation of an intelligent, capable
matchmaker. They see marriage as a holy course and try to make the ceremony
as grand as possible. First, fortune tellers from both sides agree upon
a wedding date, and then representatives on behalf of the groom's family
make a spectacular trip by horses and mules to the bride's parents,
bringing gifts with them. At the same time, the bride is being dressed
up and the wedding banquet being prepared. When the groom's entourage
arrives, two pieces of red cloth hanging from the eaves of a green shed
set up of pine trees and cypresses, screen them out. Now singers from
both parties, one from the inside and the other from the outside, begin
to sing a dialogue song called "Identifying Relatives." Only
when this is done, can the groom's party unveil the red cloth and enter.
The bride always appears sad and sorrowful, for she has to say goodbye
to her care-free maidenhood and to leave her caring parents and siblings.
Reluctantly she accepts toasts and mounts the horse leaving for her
future husband's home.Upon arrival, she joins the groom in the ceremony
of paying respects to their ancestors and receiving blessings bestowed
upon them by spreading ground rice over the newlyweds. Having gone through
the rite, now the bride is accepted as a member of her family-in-law.
After that, guests are invited to the banquet held in the courtyard,
which elevates the wedding ceremony to a climax. People in the whole
village are involved in the joyful celebrations, giving themselves to
the pleasure of feasting, singing and dancing far into the night.
The Pumis love Sixuan (a fourstring plucked instrument) very much.
The simple, lyrical music played on it can be heard almost everywhere,
either in the fields, on the ridges, or in the wooden houses where they
live. When somebody comes back home from traveling or residing in a
faraway place, his folks warmly welcome him (or her) with the Sixuan
music. Young lads find in the music an expression of love for their
sweethearts.
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