The Gelao People

The Gelao live in dispersed clusters of communities in some 20 counties in western Guizhou in the Wenshan Zhuang-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of southeastern Yunnan Province and in the Longlin Multi-National Autonomous County in Guangxi. They are descended from the "Liaos," who established the Yelang Kingdom two thousand years ago in the district of Guizhou. Throughout their history, they have migrated from mountains and river valleys into the villages of many different provinces. Over time, the Gelaos have become so assimilated that those who now call themselves "Gelao" are a small number.

The Gelao language is an impure one because of contact with other languages and only a quarter of the people speak it. Since some Gelaos cannot understand one another, the Han language has become their common language with some learning the languages of the Miao, Yi and Bouyei as well.

Their houses are built on hillsides or at the foot of mountains. Each house contains a central kitchen and two bedrooms. One report says: "Most of the Gelos live in wooden houses with large wooden pillars, and walls of thick wooden planks. The roof is covered with gray tiles or slates. A wooden house is usually divided into three rooms. The central room is used for worshipping ancestors and storing sundries. One of the side rooms serves as the bedroom and the other, the kitchen. The older wooden houses with grass growing on their roofs, flowers under their eaves and creepers on the walls look very poetic." However, prior to the Liberation the Gelao lived in houses of mud, bamboo or stone.

For food, those living in the mountain areas eat maize while those in the flatlands eat wheat, rice, millet and sorghum. All Gelaos love hot and sour dishes as well as glutinous rice cakes. Those in the mountain areas plant maize, wheat, potato, sorghum, millet, tobacco and tea; they also make wine. Because many are farmers, they have special feelings towards the ox. They hold the Festival of the Ox King in honor of an ox that saved those in a Gelao fortress from an attack by leading them to safety in a cave. On this special day, celebrated on the first day of the tenth lunar month, the Gelao give their oxen a day of rest.

Gelao have rich folk literature-namely, poetry, stories and proverbs. "Most Gelao folk tales eulogize the intelligence, honesty, diligence and bravery of the Gelo people and satirize the upper classes." Titles of some of their works include The Brave Girl, Deaf Elder Brother and Blind Younger Brother Stealing Sheep.

With respect to marriage, this people practice monogamy. As with most minorities, their marriages used to be arranged and took place when the child was still in the cradle. Later in life, when the time came to celebrate the actual marriage, "žthe bride would walk with her relatives, carrying an umbrella, to the groom's home where they would live apart from the parents." As a people, the Gelao are faithful, honest, wholehearted in hospitality, respectful of elders and welcoming of visitors. They worship ancestors and gods of giant trees, mountains, the sky, the earth, cows and on and on. Superstition and taboos affect every area of their lives.

"The Gelos - Scattered Households in the Southwest." In Life Styles of China's Ethnic Minorities. Hong Kong: Peace Book Company Limited, nd. 2

"The Gelos." In Ma Yin, Ed., China's Minority Nationalities. Beijing: Foreign Language Press.