A brief introduction to the customs and culture of the Naxi people:?

The Naxi language belongs to the Yi branch of the Tibeto-Burman language family of the Sino-Tibetan language family. The Naxi people created the Dongba hieroglyphics more than a thousand years ago (the only hieroglyphics still in use in the world, which can be called a living fossil of hieroglyphics) and the Dongba scriptures written in hieroglyphs. At the same time as the development of Dongba culture, the Naxi people also learned and absorbed the advanced culture of other ethnic groups, especially the Han people. Starting from the Ming Dynasty, the aristocratic lords headed by the Chieftain Mu of Lijiang first accepted Han culture, and most of them were capable of poetry and writing. Today, the characteristics of the integration of Han, Tibetan, Bai and Naxi cultures can still be seen in the architecture, music, and murals of the Naxi people. Particularly worth mentioning is Lijiang’s Naxi ancient music, which was originally introduced to Lijiang from mainland classical music and incorporated the Naxi music style. It is known as the living fossil of Chinese classical music. Naxi tour guides often tell tourists that the Naxi people call the little girl "Pan Jinmei" and the young man "Pan Jinge", which is similar to the current title of "beautiful and handsome boy". In fact, this is the name after tourism development, and the Naxi people do not Don't call it that. Because Pan has the same pronunciation as fat, female tourists often mistakenly think that she is fat and depressed, haha! The clothing of Naxi men is roughly the same as that of the Han people. The traditional men's clothing is mainly characterized by the linen horse hangings and leather hangings from the caravan period. Women wear "Pillowing Stars and Daiyue" clothes embroidered with seven stars, the sun and the moon, which represents hard work. Most of the Naxi residents far away from the urban area believe in the Dongba religion, the original religion of the ethnic group. Most of the Naxi residents close to Tibetan areas believe in Lamaism. However, some Naxi residents in Lijiang city are influenced by Han culture and believe in Buddhism, Taoism, etc. Due to the influence of the Sinicization policy on the Naxi people during the feudal society, and the fact that the Naxi people were historically the middlemen of the Sino-Tibetan trade on the Tea Horse Road, the major festivals of the Han people, such as the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Duanyang Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival, are held in Lijiang. It is also popular among the Naxi people. Other major festivals include the Torch Festival, which is popular among ethnic minorities in southwest China, and the Sanduo Festival (also called Sanduo Festival), the birthday of Sanduo, the patron saint of the Naxi people. In addition, there are material exchange events such as the Stick Club Fair on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the Dragon King Temple Fair in March, and the Mule and Horse Fair in July.

During the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, the central government implemented the policy of "returning local chieftains to local officials" in the southwestern frontiers, that is, the hereditary chieftains were dismissed and local officials were directly appointed by the central government. The Naxi people were infiltrated with Han culture. During this period, there were many Han people who immigrated from the mainland. They intermarried with the Naxi people, and they were born in harmony. Today, the Naxi people in the ancient city of Lijiang are inseparable from the Han people. connect. Therefore, in addition to the Mu and He surnames, the Naxi people in the ancient city today also have the common surnames of Li, Wang, and Yang. Most of them are descendants of intermarriage between the Hanna and Han tribes. The Naxi people have a traditional custom of "women take charge of the outside and men take charge of the house". Women go out to work, while men play music, chess, calligraphy, painting, tobacco, wine, and tea at home, take care of children, raise pets, grow flowers and grass, and engage in craft creations, etc. There is a popular saying in Lijiang: "It is better to marry a Naxi woman than ten mules." In Lijiang, being a man is leisure, but there are other times in history. At least the caravans on the Tea Horse Road are almost entirely made up of men. They risk their lives and travel to other places for months or even years. Only then can we go home and reunite. Today, this custom of "females taking charge outside and men taking charge inside" continues. For example, if you take a taxi in Lijiang, the proportion of female drivers is often much higher in other cities, and most of the people working in the fields are women. But the proportion of men going out to support their families is also rising.