Shui (水族)

Geography of Shui (水族)

The Shui people live on the upper reaches of the Duliu and Longjiang rivers in Guizhou province. Communities are distributed among the Sandu Shui Autonomous County (established in 1957) and other counties including Dushan and Libo. Some Shui people live in northwestern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The region’s rivers are alive with fish and forests provide timber and medicinal herbs.

• Population : 406,902
• Distribution:  Guizhou and Guangxi
• Language: Shui
• Religion: Polytheism

Language of Shui (水族)

The Shui language belongs to the Chinese-Tibetan family and used pictographs and what looked like upside-down Chinese characters. The Shui now use Chinese except for religious purposes, where their own ancient script is still used.

History of Shui (水族)

The Shuis are believed to descend from the Luoyue tribe, adopting their current name in the late Ming dynasty. Villages were established during the Song dynasty, when they began to grow rice. During the Yuan dynasty, rulers established local governments to appease the ethnic groups, and the Ming dynasty saw significant economic growth. Slash-and-burn methods were replaced by agriculture dominated by the use of animals and irrigation.

Between 1640 and 1840, the economy developed, farm production increased and some Shui people even stopped farming to focus on handicrafts. Many farmers, however, were ruined by rent and exploitation after the 1911 Revolution.

Culture of Shui (水族)

They have a rich tradition of art and oral literature; fairy tales, legends, poetry and fables have a long history. Poetry is considered to be the most important of these, and prose stories praise the Shuis’ bravery and diligence while satirising feudal rulers. Shui songs are usually sung unaccompanied: ‘grand songs’ for working, ‘wine songs’ for weddings and funerals. They also have a tradition of dancing: the most popular are the Copper Drum Dance and the Lusheng Dance. The Shuis are skilled craftspeople and make beautiful embroidered items and wood carvings.

Traditions of Shui (水族)

The Shui staple foods are fish and rice and they make a rice wine which is offered to the ancestors or guests. Their houses are either one or two storeys, with the usual arrangement of animals on the bottom and the family above.

The feudal economy put an end to the Shuis’ previous freedom to choose their own partners.Marriages were then arranged by parents, were monogamous and strictly class based.The groom’s family would send unmarried men to escort the bride to her husband’s home and she would return to her parents’ home a day or so later, remaining there until around six months later. Arranged marriages and bride prices have since been abolished.

Religion of Shui (水族)

Before 1949, funerals were very elaborate and involved sacrificing livestock, opera performances and dancing until the right day was found to bury the body. The Shuis are polytheists, with animals killed and shamans saying prayers to appease evil spirits and, though Catholicism was introduced during the Qing dynasty, it did not become popular.

The Shui calendar has the ninth month as the beginning of the new year and the ‘Duan’ holiday is marked with celebrations after the eleventh lunar month’s autumn harvest. Horse races, plays and feasts are enjoyed while wearing colourful traditional clothes.

Modern Times of Shui (水族)

Since 1957, most arable land has been irrigated with the help of water conservancy facilities. Sugar refining, wine-making, masonry, coal-mining and paper-making have all contributed to the growth of the local economy. Motorways and railways have eased transport and trade and now more schools have been set up, allowing more children to have an education. Malaria is now under control because of recent efforts by medical workers.