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The
Mulam ethnic minority has a population of 160,600, of which the
majority live in Luocheng County in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous
Region. Others are scattered in neighboring counties.
The Mulam language
is a member of the Zhuang-Dong language group of the Chinese-Tibetan
language family, but because of extensive contacts with the
majority Han and local Zhuangs many Mulams speak one or both
of these languages in addition to their own.
Their homeland
is one of rolling hills interspersed with lush green valleys.
The Wuyang and Longjiang rivers cross their territory, which
has an ideal climate for growing paddy rice, maize, beans, potatoes,
melons and cotton. The area is amous for its tea and medicinal
herbs, as well as mineral resources such as coal, iron and sulfur.
History
Historical records
trace the Mulam ethnic group back to the period of the Yuan
Dynasty (1271-1368), when their society seems to have been entering
the feudal stage. The Mulam villages paid tribute in grain to
the imperial court twice a year.
In the Qing
Dynasty (1644-1911) the Mulam areas were divided into "Li,"
under which were "Dongs" -- units of ten households.
The Dong chief
was responsible for collecting taxes and law and order. The
Dongs were mostly inhabited by families sharing the same surname.
Later, when they increased in size, the Dongs were divided into
"Fangs."
Economy
Even prior to 1949n, the farming economy
of the Mulams was omparatively advanced. Farming techniques,
crop varieties and tools were basically the same as those of
their Han and Zhuang neighbors. Oxen and water buffaloes were
the main draught animals, although horses were sometimes used
also. Some 60 per cent of arable land was taken up by paddy
fields, and the Mulams had long known the use of manure fertilizer.
The Mulams' well-developed irrigation system,
unfortunately, was under the control of the rich landlords,
who channeled most of the water off for themselves. The encroachment
of insects and wild animals was a serious problem for the Mulam
farmers.
In the past,
each household was a basic production unit. The division of
labor between men and women was not strict, but ploughing, carrying
manure and threshing were usually men's jobs, while women did
the rice transplanting, sowing and housework. Also
well developed were sideline products, which included collecting
medicinal herbs, raising livestock, blacksmithing, making pottery
and weaving cloth.
Customs and Culture
Mulam houses consist of three rooms, usually
one-storied, with mud walls and tile roofs. Inside, on the left
of the door, the ground is dug away to form a cooking pit. The
livestock are kept away from the living quarters.
Rice, maize and potatoes are the staple diet
of the Mulams, who also enjoy eating hot peppers and glutinous
rice. It is taboo to eat cats or snakes. Mulams who bear the
surnames Luo and Wu are forbidden to eat dog meat or the internal
organs of animals.
The Mulams used to be famous for their spinning,
weaving and dyeing, and their favorite color is deep blue. Traditionally,
men wore jackets with large buttons down the front, long, baggy
trousers and straw sandals. Young girls wear their hair in braids,
which is coiled up onto their heads after marriage. Women's
jewelry includes silver earrings, bracelets and finger rings.
Early marriage arranged by the parents was
common before 1949. Brides did not live with their husbands
until the first child was born. Intermarriage with the Hans
and Zhuangs was permissible, but weddings were costly affairs
which drained the wealth of a family.
The Mulams used
to be animists, and celebrated a festival every month, the most
important of which was the Yifan Festival. At this celebration,
pigs and sheep were slaughtered, dramas and lion and dragon
dances were performed, and the shamans chanted incantations.
The lunar New Year's Day was the Mulam's New Year, and the eighth
day of the fourth lunar month was "Ox Birthday," when
the oxen were given a rest and fed glutinous rice, and wine
and meat were offered to the Ox God. On the fifth day of the
fifth lunar month the Dragon Boat Festival was celebrated. Unlike
the Han and Zhuang Dragon Boat festivals, the Mulams used to
carry a paper boat into the fields and a shaman would chant
spells to drive away insects and ensure a good harvest. The
15th day of the eighth lunar month was Youth Festival, when
young people gathered to sing folk songs and make lovers' trysts.
Folk songs and
"Caidiao" (a form of local drama) are very popular
among the people. The songs are antiphonal and sung in the Han
language.
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