Geography and Language of Hani (哈尼族)
Most Hani people live in the area between the Ailao and Mengle mountains in southern Yunnan province. Others are spread around the Simao and Yuxi prefectures as well as some being in Jinggu, Jianshui, Eshan and Jingdong counties.
The Hani language belongs to the Tibetan-Burmese group and they kept records by carving notches on sticks as they had no written language before 1949; they were helped by the government in 1957 to create a Roman alphabet-based script.
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Population:
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Distribution: Guizhou and Guangxi
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Language: Gelao
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Religion: Polytheism
Culture of Hani (哈尼族)
Oral literary tradition includes poems, fairy tales, fables, myths and riddles. The Hani are good dancers, singers and musicians.
History of Hani (哈尼族)
The ancestors of the current Hani people were possibly the Heyis as long ago as the third century BC. The Hani people, along with other minority groups, were ruled under a prefecture established by the Yuan dynasty. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the feudal landlord economy dominated and peasants were badly exploited by the ruling class. In one village which once had around 150 households, only seventeen families survived in 1949.
Climate of Hani (哈尼族)
The subtropical land the Hani people inhabit is home to cypress, pine, camphor, tung oil and palm trees and there is an abundance of spectacular wildlife such as leopards, monkeys and peafowl. The land is fertile, with plenty of rain, meaning it is perfect for growing rice, cotton, peanuts, tea, etc. Of this last, Pu’er tea is certainly the most prized.
Traditions of Hani (哈尼族)
Marriages are arranged and monogamous although, before 1949, if a wife did not produce a son after a few years, her husband could take a concubine. He could not, however, leave his wife to remarry. Courting customs were interesting: both sets of parents would set out on a walk together and if they met no animals along the way, the engagement could proceed. New brides would go back to their parental home after two or three days, only returning to their husbands’ homes when it was time for transplanting the rice. People who live in the Honghe area were an exception to this, however.
Hani two- and three-storey houses are built from mud, stone, wood and bamboo, and sit on hill slopes. A village can comprise ten to as many as 400 households.
Religion of Hani (哈尼族)
Hani people practise ancestor worship and they are polytheistic. Gods of their village, the Dragon Tree, heaven and earth are all worshipped. Some days are dedicated to certain animals; on these days, people make sacrifices. If someone dies, a dog climbs onto a roof, a fire breaks out or if a wild animal visits the village, everything stops for ritual to avert misfortune. The Hani lunar year begins in October, so this is when the people celebrate their New Year. Festivities last for a week.
Modern Times of Hani (哈尼族)
Relief came for the Hani people in the form of seeds, clothes, cattle and grain and, in 1957, the Honghe Hani-Yi Autonomous Prefecture was established, merging the Honghe Hani and Mongzi prefectures. Land reform meant that living standards improved. Many hydroelectric power stations are now dotted around the Hani region, forestry, fishing and industries in plastics, cigarettes, chemicals, cement, etc have sprung up. The areas counties are linked by a motorway network, allowing ease of communications and transportation.
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