The Tujia People

The Tujia live along the Wuling Range in the Xiangxi Tujia-Miao Autonomous Prefecture and the Exi Tujia-Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Western Hunan and Hubei provinces. Their descent is debatable: either they descended from the Ba people, who moved into present-day Tujia land after the Qin Dynasty destroyed the Ba State, or from the Wuman people.

The Chinese government first recognized the Tujia people as a distinct group in 1956. In May of 1980, the Laifeng and Hefeng Autonomous counties in Hubei were chartered. In this prefecture, the Tujia are the "majority minority." On December 1, 1983, they established the Exi Tujia, Miao Autonomous Prefecture in southwest Hubei Province. As of 1986, officials viewed Exi as a prefecture with economic potential. At that time, economic life in the area had improved. By 1989, there were a reported 4,000 primary schools and 276 secondary schools.

Early contact with the Chinese resulted in increased development of Tujia agriculture, metallurgy and handicrafts. One government publication says that a similarity between the Han and the Tujia has resulted in the assimilation of the Tujia. Many Tujia can speak, read and write Chinese; however, their own language is similar to Yi. Many also speak Miao. The Chinese, according to the source, do not despise the Tujia as they do the Miao.

The present-day Tujia economy is diversified, including farming, stock-breeding, fish-breeding and other small industries. The land is rainy and forested allowing farmers to grow rice, corn, sweet potatoes and wheat. They also grow and sell tung oil, oil tea, tea, lacquer, cotton and ramie. Women weave and embroider, selling their crafts on the market. In spite of this, most are poor.

Women wear jackets trimmed with lace that have short, but broad, sleeves. They wear long skirts, necklaces, earrings, bracelets and anklets. Men wear short jackets with buttons in the front.

The Tujia have a popular dance that is at least 500 years old-the Beishou. Originally it was a dance of triumph, but later became a sacrificial rite. The Greater Baishou is performed every three years, seven days in a row, using drums and singing. As many as 10,000 people have been known to participate.

Another famous dance of the Tujia is the hand dance, which is celebrated during the Spring Festival, the Lunar New Year and on other occasions. It is a traditional, mass collective performance of the Tujia people. Normally, it is held in front of the shrine that commemorates the chieftain or in a place where there is an ancestral memorial.

Some Tujia practice the "wedding wail." The bride begins to wail two weeks before her wedding. Her tears are a symbol of her reluctance to leave her parents and sisters. On the eve of the wedding, she and some friends sit around a fire and weep together.

After a death, people from all over come to pay their respects. The coffin sits in the center of the square while friends and relatives come to sing and dance at night.

The Tujia religious faith includes Taosim, ancestor worship and a shamanistic belief in gods, ghosts and demons. Wizards have had a prominent role in Tujia life, which has many taboos.

Links:

Oriental Travel: http://www.orientaltravel.com/people/E_Tujia.htm