Va (佤族)

Geography and Language of Va (佤族)

The Va ethnic minority group occupy several counties in Yunnan province, including Gengma, Menglian and Shuangjiang counties; others live in the Xishuangbanna Dai and Dehong Dai-Jingpo autonomous prefectures. Their language is part of the Austroasiatic family and, prior to 1949, they had no written script. Messages were exchanged and records kept using various objects or by passing objects between people. An alphabetic script was created in 1957.

• Population: 396,610
• Distribution:  Yunnan
• Language: Va
• Religion: Buddhism

Climate of Va (佤族)

With only around forty frost-free days throughout the year, the Ava region is very fertile with plenty of rain. Rice, tobacco and hemp are just some of the crops grown in the area.

Traditions of Va (佤族)

The family unit was monogamous and property was generally inherited by the eldest son. A man could, however, have more than one wife if he wished. Marriages were arranged by parents, which led to elopements though, unusually, sex was permitted before marriage. This freedom did not continue once someone was married, however.

Villages were built on hilltops or slopes and some villages, particularly in the Ximeng area, date back several centuries and have 300 to 400 households. House-building was a communal affair and a chieftain’s house, or that of someone rich, would have a woodcut on the roof and horned cattle skulls. Some aspects, such as building the house on stilts and having the ground floor for housing livestock, were shared with ordinary houses.

Rice used to be cooked in bamboo tubes before the introduction of iron cauldrons and the rice was divided equally by the hostess.

Religion of Va (佤族)

The Vas of the central Ava Mountain area were once nature worshippers, believing all of nature had its own gods. The one they held in the highest respect was called Mujij, whose sons were in charge of heaven, earth, lightning, earthquakes and Va people. Religious activities were frequent and believed to bring protection from ghosts and gods.Many families held sacrificial offerings separately from those of the whole village. One third of their annual income was believed to have been spent on religious ceremonies and superstition.Christianity infiltrated part of the Va area, as well as Buddhism under influence from the Dai people.

The early stages of the Va agricultural economy began between the Tang and Ming dynasties, when they would hunt, collect fruit and breed livestock. Agriculture became the main occupation after this time and clan communes gave way to village ones. The Va economy and culture developed more quickly through exchanges with Han, Dai and Lahu peoples, though it was still quite slow because of oppression by the ruling classes. In a few places, the economy developed into a feudal landlord economy.

Modern Times of Va (佤族)

In 1954, the Menglian Dai-Lahu-Va Autonomous County was established, followed by others in the 1950s and early 1960s. Social and agricultural reforms were carried out, feudal oppression and exploitation was abolished, irrigation projects were set up and trading organisations expanded trade. Paddy fields began to achieve high yields and industries were set up for things such as food processing and iron smelting.

Schools have been established and now around ninety per cent of Va children go to school. Hospitals have also been built.