The Pumi (Chinese: Pumizú) are a Ethnicity. They constitute one of the 56 ethnicities officially identified by the Popular republic of China. Ethniquement connected to the Qiang, their population of more than: 30000 individuals finds themselves mainly with the Yunnan and the Sichuan, in particular in the prefectures and counties of Lanping, of Lijiang, Weixi and Yongsheng, and the autonomous county Yi of Ninglang, good number of them settled in higher altitudes. Those of Sichuan live in the autonomous county Tibetan of Muli and Yanyuan.

Written language

The language of Pumi belongs to the family Tibéto-Burmese E. In the past, one noted that the language of Pumi in the areas of Muli and Ninglang employed characters Tibetan S mainly for religious goals. Currently, Pumi employ the Chinese and Roman alphabets.

Religion

Owing to the fact that they had many contacts with the people Tibetan since very old times, and for the Buddhist period, Pumi had practiced mainly the Animism and the worship of the ancestors, a religion locally known like Zanbala.

However, owing to the fact that they had many contacts with the Tibet, a significant proportion adopted the Bouddhisme Tibetan schools Gelugpa and Kagyupa. a good part of that these are in the Sichuan.

History

Pumi have more the detectable long way of migration that any group of minority in China. In the beginning, these people were nomads living the Plateau Tibetan (or Qinghai-Tibetan), later to the IV E, they moved in hotter sectors along the valleys of the mountain of Hengduan. Then at the 7th century, they moved in the north of Sichuan, and at the 14th century in the North-West of the Yunnan. Good number of them settled to become farmers.

Culture

Because of their origins, Pumi are culturally influenced by the Tibetans. The lunar New Year's Day also is celebrated the first fifteen days of the New Year's Day of the lunar Calendrier. Losar, the new year Tibetan, is as well celebrated by some.

In Ninglang and Yongsheng, the women of Pumi often carry jackets with buttons in bottom on a side, long and pleated skirts and multicoloured broad belts. Because of the cold, a goatskin is draped above their backs.

Like the Tibetans, the women of Pumi braid their hair with hairs of tail of yaks and silk wire. When they are older, their heads are wrapped in large fabrics. The rich person are decorated jewels, such as silver plated bracelet and earrings.
The men of Pumi tend to carry a goatskin or jackets of fabric with and of long pants, accompanied by the hat Tibetan. The hunters and the warriors generally carry a long sword Tibetan and bags in skin.

Lifestyle

Because of the cold and proximity with the Tibet, the lifestyle of Pumi resembles narrowly that of the Tibetans. Generally, Pumi have a company monogamist, although the Polygamie is accepted. In Yongsing, Pumi continue to follow a system Matriarcal related to the system of marriage Azhu, which means the friendship literally. They carry out an agricultural lifestyle, collecting corn, their principal food, but also of vegetables and the fruits such as cabbage of China, carrots, eggplant and melons.

Random links:

Martin-Pierre Gauthier | Gyptian | Tetravalence | Zostérops with black glasses | Demography of Drome