The Bulong People

Bulong live in the Mt. Bulong, Xiding and Bada areas of Menghai County in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in southwestern Yunnan Province. Some live in the Lingcang and Simao prefectures. They inhabit mountainous areas 1,500-2,000 meters about sea level with fertile soil and natural resources. Bulong and Dai are neighbors and share similarities in housing, clothing and religious beliefs. The Dai live in the basin and the Bulong in the mountains.

Bulong trace their ancestry to the "Pu," who lived in the Lanchang and Nujiang river valleys. They gathered and hunted. In 1950 the People's Liberation Army entered Bulong area and drove out bandits and local tyrants. Between 1952 and 1953 the government carried out land reform in Zhenkang, Lincang, Yanxian, Jingdong, Jinggu, and Mujiang. And between 1955-1956 it carried out land reform in Gengma, Shuangjiang, and parts of Lancang.

Men wear collarless jackets with buttons down front, loose black trousers and turbans of black or white cloth; women wear tight collarless jackets, tight striped or black shirts, silver bracelets and silver earrings. They tie their hair into a bun and cover it with strips of cloth. Men practice martial arts, tattoo limbs, chests, and bellies and make bamboo products while women produce tea and treat visitors to 'sour' tea. They tell folk tales and ballads, dance to elephant-leg drums, cymbals and three-stringed instruments. They also have an energetic "knife dance." Their custom for naming children is unique.

Unlike the children of the Bai, Yi, Naxi, Va and some other nationalities who are named after their fathers, the offspring of the Blangs are named after their mothers, a tradition that is still followed today. The Blangs have only given names, but no family names. Most of the men's names begin with Ai, and most of the women's names, with Yi. Those who have resumed secular life after serving as monks in a temple for a period of time follow the Dai practice and begin their names with Kanglang. For ordinary Blang people, the second syllable of the mother's name is taken as the last syllable of her children's names. If the mother's name is Yi Nan Zhuang, the son's name will be Ai - Nan, and the daughter's name, Yi - Nan. If the name is identical with the name of another person, the second syllable of the maternal grandmother's name is added to the name. This naming practice shows that the Blangs are deeply influenced by the matriarchal system that prevailed for a long time in their history.

The Bulong are patriarchal. However, "without women, the sun won't feel warm and the moon won't prosper." Bulong believe women hold half the sky. Women spend most of their time planting, carrying water and raising cattle. While men had time to go to the temple, learn Buddhism, and get an education, the women did not. In the past women could not engage in business. It was thought to be disgraceful. However, as more women have started businesses and involved themselves in government to improve the life of the Bulong, the role of women has become more respected. They are now seen as independent members of society. After marriage, the husband spends three years in the wife's house.

The Bulang in Xishuangbanna practice Hinayana Buddhism. All Bulang believe different gods control the fate of men. They believe in pluralism and shamanism. Sacrificial ceremonies are held for each farming activity (i.e. plowing, weeding, harvesting, and threshing). The people resisted new scientific planting thinking it would anger their grain deity, but when they saw the good results they realized science is the true "grain deity." Buddhist monks chant Scripture during a funeral to cast out demons, and the village holds the funeral within three days. They bury their dead in the ground. Before 1949, 30 families turned to Christ, but only 10 continued in the faith. A traditional commitment to smoking, drinking, and ancestor and idol worship blocks the Bulang from coming to Christ.