Geography of Maonan (毛南族)
In the northern part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region live the Maonan people. They use local streams to irrigate paddy fields and, where water is scarce, they grow drought-resistant crops. Maonan beef is sold in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Around eighty per cent of the Maonan population have the family name Tan. Their ancestors are believed to have come from Hunan province before moving to Guangxi province and marrying local women.
- Population: 107,166
- Distribution: Guangxi
- Language: Maonan
- Religion: Taoism, Polytheism
Language of Maonan (毛南族)
The Maonan language is related to Chinese-Tibetan, though, because of long-established contact with the Zhuang and Han peoples, most Maonan people also speak both these languages, as well.
Traditions of Maonan (毛南族)
Using wooden tools at the end of the Ming dynasty and moving on to use iron tools by the Qing dynasty, the Maonan areas were slow to develop under the oppression of the ruling classes. Class division began to be more distinct during the Qing dynasty, with landlords and rich peasants exploiting the poor peasants and the farmers.
Agriculture forms the basis of the Maonan economy, though beef cattle, bamboo-ware, wooden and cast-iron objects supplement the people’s incomes. Up until the second half of the 20th century, development continued to be slow and yields were low.
The largest of the Maonan villages consist of around a hundred houses, which are two-storey mud-walled buildings with tiled roofs. One of the major food staples is sweet potatoes, but rice, millet and pumpkins are also enjoyed. Families are monogamous and not very large and, in the past, marriages were traditionally arranged by parents. If a husband died, his widow could marry his younger brother, though restrictions were placed on widows who wished to remarry, and couples could not set up home in the husband’s family house.
Religion of Maonan (毛南族)
Funerals were carried out by a Taoist priest, river or well water was ‘bought’ and splashed over the body, and chicken blood in the grave blessed the soul of the dead person as well as ensuring the well-being of their children.
Culture of Maonan (毛南族)
Festivals celebrated by the Maonan people are sometimes the same as those of the Zhuang and Han, though the Fenglong Festival is uniquely Maonan. They offer sacrifices and pray for a good harvest; married daughters return to their home villages for the festival and five-coloured rice is a festive treat. At one time, halting work for a festival was taboo, as production could be delayed, but there have been some reforms since 1949, including weddings and funerals being simplified.
Maonan people are good singers and they enjoy Maonan opera, which is based on legend and folklore, telling stories of love affairs and anti-feudal struggles. Weaving and carving are the Maonan people’s speciality. When people meet, they are referred to as brothers and sisters.
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