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The Mulam ethnic minority has a population
of 207,352, 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 famous 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 comparatively
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.
Prior to the founding of the People’s Republic of China, land
in the Mulam areas was heavily concentrated in the hands of the
rich landlords, especially the most fertile parts. The landlords
demanded that their tenants pay rent in kind and provide unpaid
labor service. They also exploited the poorer peasants by means
of usury.
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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