The Hezhe People

The Hezhes live in the plain formed by the Heilong, Songhua and Wusoli rivers in Tongjiang, Fuyuan and Raohe counties in northeast China's Heilongjaing Province. They have an autonomous township: the Fuyuan County's Xiabacha Hezhe Autonomous Township, and send deputies to local, provincial, and national People's Congresses.

The Hezhes trace their lineage to the nomadic Nuzhens, Tartar horsemen. Between 618-907 A.D. they first came under Chinese rule during the Tang Dynasty. This occurred when the Heilong Military Region was established in their area. Between 1644-1911 the Qing Dynasty incorporated the Hezhes into the "eight banner" system of the Manchus. Sometime between 1661-1722 the Hezhe took the name Hezhe (or Hezhen). Before then they were called Heijin or Hejin. When Japan set up the state of Manchukuo, the Hezhe were placed in concentration camps. This caused a dwindling in numbers so that prior to 1949 there were only 300 people. However, by 1982, there were 1,500.

The Hezhe are a people of the fish: they kill fish, eat fish, celebrate fish, and wear fish. Expert fishermen, they are praised by others as "fish-catching kings." They can tell what type of fish is underwater through the bubbles on the surface, and they understand the habits of fish. When spearing fish, they rarely miss. During the winter, elderly Hezhe crack a hole in the ice and wait day and night for fish to pass. One Hezhe folk tale about fish spearing relates:

"Once there lived a young couple by a river. The man was a skilled spear thrower known far and wide. One day he caught a huge huso sturgeon. Instead of being happy, his wife looked at the fish and sighed. Because there were holes in the fish made by the spear, she could not make a beautiful dress with its skin. The husband vowed to improve his skill with the spear so that he could get her a big fish with undamaged skin. He practiced hard day and night in all seasons and eventually succeeded in catching a big fish for her. The wife found no holes in the fish because the spear had pierced only a fin. Spearing the fish fin thus became a consummate skill of the Hezhen fisherman..."

The Hezhe play a fish sport known as "spearing the straw ball." A man throws a straw ball. As it rolls on the ground, participants throw spears at it (the rolling ball symbolizes a fish) and the one to penetrate it wins. The Hezhe consume the fish that they spear. They eat it raw, half-cooked, steamed, stewed, and broiled. The best dish served is "seasoned raw fish"--fresh carp or trout meat cut into slices, dipped in vinegar, mixed with boiled potato slices, boiled bean sprouts, boiled bean noodle or jelly and boiled leeks, then seasoned with hot pepper oil, vinegar and salt.

The Hezhe also wear fish skins. "The Hezhens are the only people in China, and probably in the whole world, who make clothes with fish skin." Women wear fish gowns; men wear fish-skin coats and trousers. Shoes, leggings, aprons, and gloves are also made of fish.

This people practices monogamy although, in the past, wealthier persons sometimes practiced polygamy. There is no record of polygamy continuing in the present. They sing and tell folk tales. Elders used to sing shuohuli songs to initiate younger members into the tribal lore. They also sing extemporaneous songs. They embroider clothing, shoes and tobacco pouches with geometrical and floral patterns and carve images of Buddha, plants, and animals into wooden furniture, birch-bark boxes and utensils.