|
The Naxi ethnic minority
 The Naxi ethnic minority has a population of 277,800,
most of whom live in concentrated communities in the Lijiang Naxi
Autonomous County in Yunnan Province, the rest being scattered in
Weixi, Zhongdian, Ninglang, Deqin, Yongsheng, Heqing, Jianchuan and
Lanping counties in Yunnan Province, as well as Yanyuan, Yanbian and
Muli counties in Sichuan Province. A small number live in Mangkang
County of Tibet Autonomous Region.
The Naxi areas, traversed by the Jinsha, Lancang and Yalong rivers,
and the Yunling, Xueshan and Yulong mountain ranges, have a
complicated terrain. There are cold mountainous areas, uplands,
basins, rivers and valleys, averaging 2,700 meters above sea level.
The climate varies from cold and temperate to subtropical. Rainfall is
plentiful.
Agriculture is the main occupation of the Naxi people. The chief crops
are rice, maize, wheat, potatoes, beans, hemp and cotton. The bend of
the Jinsha River is heavily forested, and Yulong Mountain is known at
home and abroad as a "flora storehouse." The extensive dense forests
contain Chinese fir, Korean pine, Yunnan pine and other valuable
trees, as well as many varieties of herbs including fritillary bulbs,
Chinese caterpillar fungus and musk.
There are rich reserves of such non-ferrous metals as gold, silver,
copper, aluminum and manganese. Water resources are abundant.
The Naxi language belongs to the Chinese-Tibetan language family. More
than 1,000 years ago, the Naxi people had already created pictographic
characters called the "Dongba" script and a syllabic writing known as
the "Geba" script. With these scripts they recorded a lot of beautiful
folklore, legends, poems and religious classics. However, they were
difficult to master, and in 1957 the government helped the Naxi design
an alphabetic script. Over the past few hundred years, as the Naxi
people have come into closer contact with the people in other parts of
China politically, economically and culturally, the oral and written
Chinese has become an important means of communication in Naxi
society.
Art and Literature
 Naxi
literature is rich in form and content. Besides works by Naxi scholars
and writers, there is a repository of oral folk literature. "Genesis,"
"The Rich Steal Oxen," "Revenge" and "Song of Elopement" are
characterized by simple and fresh expressions, and distinctive
national flavor. The "Dongba Scripture," a religious work, dates back
to the Tang Dynasty. Written in the pictographic script, it describes
the various aspects of life of the Naxi people during their long
transition from slavery to feudalism. It is extremely important for
the study of Naxi literature, history and religion.
The Naxis are fond of singing and dancing, especially at weddings and
funerals. The most popular songs are descriptive and short. They are
sung at very high pitch and with strong rhythms, to the accompaniment
of simple dances. The most common musical instruments are flutes, reed
pipes and wind-string instruments. The ancient musical piece,
"Baishaxiyue," which dates back to the Yuan Dynasty, was rediscovered
and preserved.
Naxi architecture, sculpture and painting have reached fairly high
standards. Moreover, they are mixed with the traditional styles of the
Hans and Tibetans. Some famous buildings preserved in Lijiang, such as
the "Dabao Palace," "Glazed Hall," "Dading Pavilion" and "Five-Phoenix
Chamber," were all built during the Ming Dynasty. All the murals in
these buildings have the concise and harmonious strokes of Tibetan
painting, and the style of Taoist and Buddhist paintings of the Tang
Dynasty.
Religion Most Naxi people were followers
of the "Dongba" religion, which was a form of Shamanism. Sorcerers,
called "Dongba," were invited to chant scriptures at weddings,
funerals, the New Year Day and other festivals. Some of the Naxis were
followers of Lamaism. Buddhism, Taoism and Christianity only had
limited access to the Lijiang area. Customs and Habits
Naxi women wear wide-sleeved loose gowns, with jackets and long
trousers, tied with richly decorated belts at the waist. They often
wear sheepskin slung over the shoulder, on which are seven stars
exquisitely embroidered, with sun and moon symbols, one on each side.
This reflects the Naxis' admiration for diligence -- "people start
working early in the morning and do not stop until late in the
evening." Women in Ninglang County wear short jackets and long skirts
reaching the ground, with many folds. They wrap large black cotton
turbans around their heads and wear big silver earrings. Men's
garments are similar to those of the Han people.
The traditional festivals include the "Farm-Tool Fair" in January,
"God of the Rain Festival" in March, and "Mule and Horse Fair" in
July. There are also the Lunar New Year, the Pure Brightness Festival,
the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Torch
Festival -- all being the same as those of the Hans.
Cremation has been a tradition since ancient times, but in some of the
Naxi areas the custom of burying the dead was adopted in the late Qing
Dynasty. It was common in the past to chant scriptures at the funeral
ceremony to expiate the sins of the dead.
The monogamous family under the feudal landlord economy was the main
type of Naxi family in Lijiang, Weixi and Yongsheng counties before
liberation. However, the man enjoyed a predominant status in the
family while the woman had little say and was denied the right to
inherit property. Young people's marriages were all arranged by their
parents.
Among some of the Naxi people in Yongning County in Yunnan Province
and Yanyuan County in Sichuan Province, there still existed remnants
of a matriarchal family structure until the eve of the democratic
reform after liberation. The pedigree of the family was traced back
through the maternal line, and children l ived with the mother. The
woman was the head of the family, and the property was passed to the
children through the mother, or to the nephews through the mother's
brothers. Women comprised the main labor force, respected at home and
in outside society. |
|
|
