LISU MINORITY – ETHNIC DIVERSITY IN CHINA/SONGS AND DANCES II – Myanmar Gazette Print News Media Forum Network

LIVING IN HARMONY AND DEVELOPMENT. ENJOY THE SONGS AND DANCES.

TRAVELOGUE PART 2 OF 3 ON THE NU JIANG (RIVER) WHICH BECOMES THE SALWEEN OR THAN LWIN RIVER IN BURMA/MYANMAR. MANY INTERESTING SCENES AND A STRANGE TRADITION. SEE FOR YOURSELF (NEAR THE END OF THE VIDEO BELOW # 2/3)

YouTube – Travelogue – Lisu & Pumi 2/3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajV1dV8KH5M&feature=related

thank you for putting this up! =D i miss the lisu people & culture alot.

i’m lis su too. Xshar Mu.

thank you for putting this up! =D i miss the lisu people & culture alot.

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CONTINUED FROM PART 1 OF 3….

Like any other new arrival, I’m given a traditional Lisu welcome.

The Lisu, perhaps more than any other ethnic group in these parts, are well known for their singing and dancing. And they certainly start young.

However, the songs the children are singing today are no ordinary Lisu folk songs – and that’s because the place I’m visiting is no ordinary Lisu place. It has a secret – and just like me, a lot of people come here to investigate.

The secret is connected to religion. Although most Lisu people believe in the gods of Nature, there are some who don’t – especially those living in the canyon’s remotest mountains. Now, the reason for this religious divergence is all to do with the visitors I mentioned – the ones who came here a century ago.

They were missionaries, who came from Britain and the United States to preach Christianity to the villagers. And it’s Christianity the villagers are practicing now, but with some subtle differences. Take Christmas or Thanksgiving, for example. Yes, they celebrate it, but not on a fixed date like the rest of the world. They prefer to fit it in between 24 and 26 December.

Here is the bible, created in the local language. The language is pretty much the same as the English alphabet, but the order they put it in is differently and of course the pronunciation. The bible starts from 1928, when a British priest came in town and taught them how to create words and a language. In 1945 they started their bible. Now, in my hand, the whole bible, the entire story, is written in their local language.

And all these people can sing a song in their Lisu language.

It’s time to say farewell. But here, there’s no waving good-bye. The villagers see me off with songs. I don’t understand a single word of it, but I can’t help thinking that in their singing, there is something of the purity of their hearts.

My next stop is Fugong County, east of Lanping. The biggest ethnic group here is, again, the Lisu. Christianity is the dominant religion among them. All together, the Lisu people number over 600,000 people, mainly living in Yunnan.

Traveling on a bumpy road can be pretty uncomfortable, especially at a moment like this.

Okay, we have a problem. The car rolled over a big stone. It broke and now we’re doomed. As you can see the trail, there is no more gas or oil left. So we’re either going hiking or get a car in de middle of nowhere.

Well, as you can see, I’m pretty lucky. Even so, there’s no avoiding some footwork from time to time in the canyon. It’s common to see people walking in these parts, where the mountains are so steep and the currents run so fast. But there are times when two legs simply aren’t up to the task.

In the olden days, cables were the key means of transport in the canyon. Everything, from goods to humans, was transported via cable.

I love Nujiang. Actually I love every part of this journey. Every time when we go somewhere, I can find interesting things, exciting things.

Look what we have here, a cable car. Look at that beautiful girl, just like her, all locals, do this every time. Now I’m going to cross this river. I’m pretty excited because it’s my first time. You know what, I’m not even scared to be honest with you.

But times change. Unless, of course, you’re getting married, Lisu-style. There are the traditional songs and dances and ceremonies – it all seems just like a regular wedding. Until I notice something rather strange, there’s no sign of the bride and bridegroom. So, what’s going on? It turns out its all part of the unique Lisu wedding tradition.

Drinking is a must at a Lisu wedding, just like at any other wedding. But here the tradition is for all the guests to drink from one barrel of wine. The idea is that by sharing the wine, everyone will share good fortune and happiness with the new couple.

Sand baron lovers, this is a tradition. All of this is a tradition. It’s all about love and mystery. The tradition in this minority is that they bare the two couples. If you want to bear with these couple, it means, that you are lovers. Who are the lovers?

Usually, this strange custom is something Lisu youngsters do at festivals or in spring, just before the fieldwork starts. But occasionally they make an exception, such as when they want to trap an unsuspecting visitor, like me.

What a great tradition. Man, woman, boys and girl, they were all digging a hole. And they start finding their loves. It’ll happen all of the sudden. The boys, who find the girl they love, grab her and bear that hole. These are called lovers.

So nobody knows who the boy is and who the girl is.

This tradition makes me very happy. But it’s a painful tradition. Someday lovers will bare each other, and whatever happens, we’re going to dig ourselves out. I’ll dig her out and make sure she can get out of it.

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