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With a population of about 30,000, the
Pumi ethnic group is mainly distributed in Lanping, Lijiang, Weixi
and Yongsheng counties of Yunnan Province, as well as in the Yi
Autonomous County of Ninglang. Some live in Muli and Yanyuan counties
in Sichuan Province as well.
History
The ancestors of Pumi were a nomadic tribe living in the southern
part of Gansu Province and the eastern part of Qinghai Province.
Later, their descendants moved south to warmer areas along the Hengduan
Mountain Range. After the 13th century, the Pumi ethnic group gradually
settled down in Ninglang, Lijiang, Weixi and Lanping counties.
Language
The Pumi ethnic group has its own language, which belongs to the
Tibetan-Myanmese family of the Chinese-Tibetan language system.
They also have their own simple written language based on Tibetan
letters, but now Chinese characters are widely used among Pumi people.
Religion
Pumi people mostly worship nature and their ancestors. Some of
them also believe in Daoism and Buddhism.
Food
Pumi people mainly engage in agriculture and their main products
include maize, rice, wheat and highland barley. They eat three meals
per day, in which corn is the staple food. They enjoy a variety
of vegetables and fruit including Chinese cabbage, carrots, eggplant
and melon. A favorite food of the Pumi is "pipa meat"
- salted pork wrapped in pork skin in the shape of a pipa (lute).
Costumes and Customs
Pumi women in Ninglang and Yongsheng often wear jackets with buttons
down one side, long, pleated skirts, multi-colored wide belts and
goatskins draped over their backs. In the Lanping and Weixi areas,
women tend to wear green, blue or white long-sleeved jackets under
vests, trousers and embroidered belts. Pumi women often wind their
plaited hair mixed with yak tail hairs and silk threads and then
wrap their heads in large handkerchiefs, Jewelry, such as silver
earrings and bracelets, is prized by the women. Pumi men normally
wear linen jackets, loose trousers and sleeveless goatskin jackets.
Some of them also carry long swords and deerskin bags. Pumi people
over thirteen must go through the ablution rites of manhood and
only after ablution may they put on adult clothing and take part
in society's activities.
Pumi people are good singers and dancers. Singing contests in which
partners alternate singing verses are a feature of wedding ceremonies
and holidays. They dance to the flute, incorporating in their movements
and gestures symbolizing their work as farmers, hunters and weavers.
The Pumi celebrate the beginning of Spring Festival (the Chinese
Lunar New Year) and the 15th of the first month of the lunar calendar.
During the latter festival all Pumi people, young and old, clad
in their holiday best, go camping on mountain slopes and celebrate
around bonfires. Horse racing, shooting contests and wrestling are
held at the same time.
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