The History of Hani Ethnic Group

In Hani legend a Sky god named Abo-Momi sent a buffalo to the earth to teach man that grass and trees must be planted to enable crops to grow everywhere else. If man would do this they would be able to eat every second day. Unfortunately the buffalo had a poor memory and told them the crops must be planted. He also told them to let the grass and trees grow everywhere else. If they would do that, the buffalo said, they would be able to eat twice every day. Man obeyed the buffalo’s message but found their lives did not improve at all. When the buffalo returned to the sky, Abo-Momi was displeased and sent the buffalo back to the earth to help the Hani cultivate the soil. The water buffalo is still revered today among the Hani. When a Hani man dies his buffalo is slaughtered and buried with him, so that the beast can guide him to the next world.

Hani People’s Customs

Black is the favorite color of Hani People. For these farmers and residents on high land, heavy and durable clothes that keep warm and endure dirty environment have obvious advantages. Additionally this is also demonstration of the hermit living style and attitude of the locals, their uncultured dress material and less developed dyeing techniques. The embroidery and silver ornaments on the clothes stand for the terraced fields which go layers upon layers. The crabs, clams and fish suggest Hani People’s adoration for water. Hani men basically wear tight shirt, loose pants and black scarf while the female dress with complex decoration. What is worthy of mentioning is that the ancient Hani did not have shoes and socks. They wore a sort of special wooden shoes, whose soles were not slippery and therefore good for walking on the muddy rice paddy.

The History of Yi Ethnic Group

Some scholars believe that the Yi are descended from the ancient Qiang people of today’s western China, who are also said to be the ancestors of the Tibetan, Naxi and Qiang peoples. They migrated from southeastern Tibet through Sichuan and into the Yunnan Province, where their largest populations can be found today. They practice a form of animism, led by a shaman priest known as the Bimaw. They still retain a few ancient religious texts written in their unique pictographic script. Their religion also contains many elements of Daoism and Buddhism. Many of the Yi in Liangshan and northwestern Yunnan practiced a complicated form of slavery. People were split into the nuohuo or Black Yi (nobles), qunuo or White Yi (commoners), and slaves. White Yi were free and could own property and slaves but were in a way tied to a lord. Other ethnic groups were held as slaves.

Yi People’s Customs

The Yi people’s traditional costumes vary in different regions, . In Mt. Liangshan area in Sichuan Province and west Guizhou, men usually wear black jackets with tight sleeves and right-side askew fronts, and pleated trousers with wide bottom. While in some other areas, men wear tight-bottomed trousers, and grow a small path of hair above the forehead to be tied with a turban.Women wear embroidered jackets and pleated long skirts hemmed with multiple layers. They use turbans to wrap their hair. Middle-aged women wear black turbans, while young women prefer embroidered square kerchiefs. Their accessories include earrings, bracelets, rings, collar press, and so on. When going outdoors, men and women wear a dark woolen cape with long tassels reaching to the knees.

Clubs & Bars & KTVs

Chongchongfei Bar(虫虫飞酒吧)

Address: Minzu Street, Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County (江城哈尼族彝族自治县民族街)

Zuilianwen Bar(醉恋温酒馆)

Address: Binghe Road, Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County (江城哈尼族彝族自治县滨河路)

Banbu Music Theme Bar(班布音乐主题酒吧)

Address: Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County, Pu’er Prefecture (普洱市江城哈尼族彝族自治县)

Xinhong KTV(鑫宏KTV)

Address: Minzu Street, Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County, Pu’er Prefecture (普洱市江城哈尼族彝族自治县民族街)

Yuanjvle KTV(缘聚乐KTV)

Address: Highway 162, Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County, Pu’er Prefecture (普洱市江城哈尼族彝族自治县162县道)

Tel: 13887976810

Coffee & Tea & Ice Cream

Aierlan Tea & Drinks(爱尔兰茶饮)

Address: Huimin Road, Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County, Pu’er Prefecture (普洱市江城哈尼族彝族自治县惠民路)

Lanmao Coffee(蓝猫咖啡)

Address: Sanguo Business Area, Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County, Pu’er Prefecture (普洱市江城哈尼族彝族自治县三国商贸区

Pinwei Coffee Bar(品味咖啡吧)

Address: Minzu Street, Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County, Pu’er Prefecture (普洱市江城哈尼族彝族自治县民族街)

Kangti Tea House(康提茶庄)

Address: Lianyi Road, Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County, Pu’er Prefecture (普洱市江城哈尼族彝族自治县其他联谊路)

Yinxiangsi Cold Drink(饮相思冷饮店)

Address: Menglie Street, Menglie Town, Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County, Pu’er Prefecture (普洱市江城哈尼族彝族自治县勐烈镇勐烈大街)

Yi People Festivals

The Torch Festival is a traditional festival for the Yi ethnic group. It falls on the 24th of the sixth month of the Chinese calendar, and the celebration lasts for 3 days. The origin of the festival is related to ancestors’ worshipping of the fire, which is believed to have the power to repel insects, ward off evils, and protect the growth of crops. In some villages, it is a tradition for the elderly to pass down their farming experience to the younger generation during the festival.

During the festival, big torches are erected in the village, while small torches are placed in front of each household. When the night falls, an altar is set up and the holy flame is lit up. The Bimo (village flamen) will chant prayers, light up torches from the flame, and pass them to the villagers. Villagers, holding the flame, walk around the village, houses and the fields, and place the torches in the field corners to drive away evils. Inside the village, young men and women sing and dance around bir burning torches throughout the night.

The Culture of Hani Ethnic Group

Hani houses are usually two or three stories high, built with bamboo, mud, stone and wood. The traditional clothing of the Hani is made with dark blue fabric. The men dress in short jackets and in long wide pants. They also wear white or black turbans. The women dress depending on which clan they belong to. There is no gender difference in the clothing of children under the age of seven. Hani are known for their vocal polyphonic singing. Eight-part polyphony was recorded in the 1990s. They play traditional musical instruments, end-blown flute labi (俄比), and three-stringed plucked lute  lahe. Part of thousand years old culture are terraced fields.

Hani People’s Customs

Black is the favorite color of Hani People. For these farmers and residents on high land, heavy and durable clothes that keep warm and endure dirty environment have obvious advantages. Additionally this is also demonstration of the hermit living style and attitude of the locals, their uncultured dress material and less developed dyeing techniques. The embroidery and silver ornaments on the clothes stand for the terraced fields which go layers upon layers. The crabs, clams and fish suggest Hani People’s adoration for water. Hani men basically wear tight shirt, loose pants and black scarf while the female dress with complex decoration. What is worthy of mentioning is that the ancient Hani did not have shoes and socks. They wore a sort of special wooden shoes, whose soles were not slippery and therefore good for walking on the muddy rice paddy.

The Culture of Yi Ethnic Group

The Yi play a number of traditional musical instruments, including large plucked and bowed string instruments, as well as wind instruments called bawu (巴乌) and mabu (马布). The Yi also play the hulu sheng, though unlike other minority groups in Yunnan, the Yi do not play the hulu sheng for courtship or love songs (aiqing). The kouxian, a small four-pronged instrument similar to the Jew’s harp, is another commonly found instrument among the Liangshan Yi. Kouxian songs are most often improvised and are supposed to reflect the mood of the player or the surrounding environment. Kouxian songs can also occasionally function in the aiqing form. Yi dance is perhaps the most commonly recognized form of musical performance, as it is often performed during publicly sponsored holidays and/or festival events. Yi people’s son’s given name is patronymic, based on the last one or two syllable of father’s name.

Yi People’s Customs

The Yi people’s traditional costumes vary in different regions, . In Mt. Liangshan area in Sichuan Province and west Guizhou, men usually wear black jackets with tight sleeves and right-side askew fronts, and pleated trousers with wide bottom. While in some other areas, men wear tight-bottomed trousers, and grow a small path of hair above the forehead to be tied with a turban.Women wear embroidered jackets and pleated long skirts hemmed with multiple layers. They use turbans to wrap their hair. Middle-aged women wear black turbans, while young women prefer embroidered square kerchiefs. Their accessories include earrings, bracelets, rings, collar press, and so on. When going outdoors, men and women wear a dark woolen cape with long tassels reaching to the knees.

The History of Simao(Pu’er) 

Pu’er (Chinese: 普洱) is a prefecture-level city in southern Yunnan province, People’s Republic of China. The name Pu’er dates back to 1729, but was changed to Simao (Chinese: 思茅) in 1950 after the Communist Revolution. In 2007, the original name of Pu’er was restored. This change had an effect on the size of the official Pu’er tea production area, a major regional product. The urban administrative center of Pu’er is Simao District, which is also the former name of the prefecture-level city itself. A major downturn in the price of tea in 2007 caused severe economic distress in the area. The price of Pu’er has since recovered and Pu’er tea still contributes much to the income of the area.

The History of Tea Horse Road

The Tea Horse Road or chamadao (simplified Chinese: 茶马道; traditional Chinese: 茶馬道), now generally referred to as the Ancient Tea Horse Road or chama gudao (simplified Chinese: 茶马古道; traditional Chinese: 茶馬古道) was a network of caravan paths winding through the mountains of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou in Southwest China.It is also sometimes referred to as the Southern Silk Road. The route extended to Bengal in the Indian subcontinent.

From around a thousand years ago, the Ancient Tea Route was a trade link from Yunnan, one of the first tea-producing regions: to Bengal via Burma; to Tibet; and to central China via Sichuan Province.In addition to tea, the mule caravans carried salt. Both people and horses carried heavy loads, the tea porters sometimes carrying over 60–90 kg, which was often more than their own body weight in tea.

It is believed that it was through this trading network that tea (typically tea bricks) first spread across China and Asia from its origins in Pu’er County, near Simao Prefecture in Yunnan.

The route earned the name Tea-Horse Road because of the common trade of Tibetan ponies for Chinese tea, a practice dating back at least to the Song dynasty, when the sturdy horses were important for China to fight warring nomads in the north.

Clubs & Bars & KTVs

Kui Percussion Music Club(葵打击乐俱乐部 )

Address: Buxing Street, Simao District(思茅区五一步行街)

Tel: 13577970321

Waitan No.1 Bar(外滩一号酒吧)

Address：Bayi Shopping Mall, ZhenxingAvenue(振兴大道八益商贸城)

Tel: 18214051331

Huadi Dynasty Bar(华帝王朝酒吧)

Address: Fujing Minzu Street, Simao District(思茅区民族街福景小区)

Average Spend： 45yuan

Zijin KTV Thumb Branch(紫金ktv大拇指店 )

Address: No.25 of Pu’er Road, Simao District, Pu’er Prefecture(普洱市思茅区普洱路25号)

Tel: :0879-2317111; 13987977172

Coffee & Tea & Ice Cream

Tangshui House Coffee(糖水小屋咖啡馆)

Address: Eastern Renmin Road, Simao District(思茅区人民东路)

Tel: 18987921270

Manya Coffee(漫崖咖啡)

Address: Near the Zhenxing Avenue, Simao District(思茅区振兴大道附近)

Naixiong Drink(奶熊饮吧)

Address: Chacheng Avenue, Simao District(思茅区茶城大道)

Water Splashing Festival

The Water Festival is the New Year’s celebrations that take place in Southeast Asian countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand as well as Yunnan, China. It is called the ‘Water Festival’ by Westerners because people splash / pour water at one another as part of the cleansing ritual to welcome the new year. Traditionally people gently sprinkled water on one another as a sign of respect, but as the new year falls during the hottest month in South East Asia, many people end up dousing strangers and passersby in vehicles in boisterous celebration. The act of pouring water is also a show of blessings and good wishes. It is believed that on this Water Festival, everything old must be thrown away, or it will bring the owner bad luck.

In Yunnan (China), the Water Splashing Festival is celebrated by the Dai ethnic group which is one of the 55 ethnic minorities in China. The whole celebration usually starts on the 13th of April and takes 3–7 days. On the first day of the festival Dai people race dragon boats and light fireworks (made of bamboo) for good luck in the coming years. The second day, Dai people get together to dance, and pour water on others because they believe that pouring water on others can help remove bad luck and bring out happiness. Finally, on the last day of the festival, young generations will get together to exchange gifts and date their mates. The Water Splashing Festival is one of the most influential ethnic festivals in Yunnan area. It attracts thousands of tourists every year from all over China. The huge tourist industry contributes greatly to the development of the area.

The Tea Horse Road Culture

Simao district is the starting point of the tea horse road – the southern silk- road in the history, which is one of the three customs towns in Yunnan Province. The Tea Horse Road or chamadao (simplified Chinese: 茶马道; traditional Chinese: 茶馬道), now generally referred to as the Ancient Tea Horse Road or chama gudao (simplified Chinese: 茶马古道; traditional Chinese: 茶馬古道) was a network of caravan paths winding through the mountains of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou in Southwest China.[1] It is also sometimes referred to as the Southern Silk Road. The route extended to Bengal in the Indian subcontinent. One of the longest and most dramatic trade routes of the ancient world, the Tea Horse Road carried a crucial exchange for 13 centuries between China and Tibet. China needed war horses to protect its northern frontier and Tibet could supply them. When the Tibetans discovered tea in the 7th century, it became a staple of their diet, but its origins are in southwest China, and they had to trade for it.

As one of the longest and most dramatic trade routes of the ancient world, the Tea Horse Road carried a crucial exchange for 13 centuries between China and Tibet. China needed war horses to protect its northern frontier and Tibet could supply them. When the Tibetans discovered tea in the 7th century, it became a staple of their diet, but its origins are in southwest China, and they had to trade for it.The result was a network of trails covering more than 3,000 kilometers through forests, gorges and high passes onto the Himalayan plateaus, traversed by horse, mule and yak caravans, and human porters. It linked cultures, economies and political ambitions, and lasted until the middle of the 20th century.

Re-tracing the many branches of the Road, photographer and writer Michael Freeman spent two years compiling this remarkable visual record, from the tea-mountains of southern Yunnan and Sichuan to Tibet and beyond. Collaborating on this fascinating account, ethno-ecologist Selena Ahmed’s description of tea and bio-cultural diversity in the region draws on her original doctoral research.

China’s cultural heritage authorities are thus finally taking the preservation of the cultures associated with the route seriously. Yet the recognition that the old tea road warrants lags far behind its conceptual development within the broader realm of public discourse. Indeed, it may even be argued that the ‘cultural heritage lag’, and its recent corrective in the form of ‘World Heritage frenzy’,[10] is partly a response to the economic and tourist potential that the tea road offers. The production, transportation and consumption of tea—Pu’er tea in this case—is itself a tangible item which has generated over time a series of associated social and cultural practices that unites the disparate peoples of Yunnan. Thus, the tea road and tea fit comfortably into the marketing vision of Yunnan as a ‘cultural whole’ and feature in all the counties, towns and cities that are touched on by them as a key element of provincial ‘branding’.

Ximeng Va Autonomous County (西盟佤族自治县) is an autonomous county under the jurisdiction of Pu’er Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. Wa/Va people is the main inhabitants here. Wa language is common here. The Ximeng (西盟) county seat is small and one runs out of things to do there quickly, especially when there is no festival. However, getting out of town and exploring the countryside provides plenty of interesting diversions.

Wa People History

According to Sir George Scott in the Wa origin myths the first Wa originated from two female ancestors Ya Htawm and Ya Htai who spent their early phase as tadpoles (rairoh) in a lake known as Nawng Hkaeo. Very little is known about the early history of the Wa. What is known is mostly made up of local legends telling that in the distant past the historical Wa States and all the territories of eastern Shan State, as well as large swathes of the adjacent areas of present-day China had belonged to the Wa. In the area of the former Kengtung State the Wa were displaced around 1229 and were later defeated by King Mangrai. At the time of British rule in Burma the Tai Yai people were the majority of the population in Kengtung state with other groups such as Akha and Lahu, forming sizeable communities. The Wa now form a minority of only about 10% in Kengtung District despite having been the original inhabitants.

The Wa originally had animist religious beliefs centered around ritual blood sacrifices. Villages had a spirit healer (Tax Cao Chai) and the traditional way of dealing with sickness or other problems was to sacrifice a chicken, a pig or a larger animal, depending from the magnitude of the affliction. According to local legend, the practice of cutting a human head was intended as a ritual sacrifice in order to improve the fertility of the rice fields. Traditional villages had also shrines (Nyiex Moeg) where a buffalo was sacrificed once every year at a special Y-shaped post named Khaox Si Gang with an offering of the blood, meat and skin performed at it. Animals were also sacrificed at celebrations such as marriages and funerary rituals among the traditional spirit-worshiping Wa, a practice that still endures among the Christian Wa. However, the Wa that were under Buddhist influence developed different traditions.

In the traditional Wa society monogamous marriage was the norm and there was sexual freedom for both men and women before marriage. The chewing of betel with areca nut was formerly also an important custom. The Wa have different kinds of traditional dances. One important dance in their culture is accompanied by the beating of a large hollow wooden drum. This way of dancing, among other Wa dances such as the hair dance and festivals, is being promoted as a tourist attraction by the Yunnan tourism authorities in China. The Wa people also have a well-engrained drinking culture, with large amounts of local moonshine being produced and are widely believed to on average consume the largest amount of alcohol in China.

Clubs & Bars & KTVs

Chunda Internet Club(春达网络休闲会所)

Address: Ximeng Wa Autonomous County(西盟佤族自治县)

KTV(盛世木鼓KTV)

Address: Ximeng Wa Autonomous County(西盟佤族自治县)

Tel: 13769098985

Jinshuipan KTV(金水畔KTV)

Address: Ximeng Wa Autonomous County(西盟佤族自治县)

Washanyedu KTV(佤山夜都KTV)

Address: Ximeng Wa Autonomous County(西盟佤族自治县)

Coffee & Tea & Ice Cream

Sunshine Coffee(一米阳光咖啡屋)

Address: Jiangning Road, Ximeng Wa Autonomous County(西盟佤族自治县疆宁路)

Washanyuan Tea House(佤山源茶庄)

Address: Longtan Road, Ximeng Wa Autonomous County(西盟佤族自治县龙潭路)

Licking Mouth Ice Cream(舔舔嘴冷饮)

Address: Xingmeng Road, Ximeng Wa Autonomous County(西盟佤族自治县兴盟路)

Zishile Cake and Ice Cream(滋士乐蛋糕冷饮)

Address: Xingmeng Road, Ximeng Wa Autonomous County(西盟佤族自治县兴盟路)

The Customs of Wa People

Every time there is great event or festival, the Wa people will hold the Piaoniu ceremony, In this ceremony, they kill an ox, divide its meat amongst all the families for sacrifice to their ancestors. The ox bone is given to the host of the ceremony and symbolizes wealth. This ceremony is symbolic of their wish for peace and great harvest.

The Culture of Wa People

According to Sir George Scott in the Wa origin myths the first Wa originated from two female ancestors Ya Htawm and Ya Htai who spent their early phase as tadpoles (rairoh) in a lake known as Nawng Hkaeo. Very little is known about the early history of the Wa. What is known is mostly made up of local legends telling that in the distant past the historical Wa States and all the territories of eastern Shan State, as well as large swathes of the adjacent areas of present-day China had belonged to the Wa. In the area of the former Kengtung State the Wa were displaced around 1229 and were later defeated by King Mangrai. At the time of British rule in Burma the Tai Yai people were the majority of the population in Kengtung state with other groups such as Akha and Lahu, forming sizeable communities. The Wa now form a minority of only about 10% in Kengtung District despite having been the original inhabitants.

The Wa originally had animist religious beliefs centered around ritual blood sacrifices. Villages had a spirit healer (Tax Cao Chai) and the traditional way of dealing with sickness or other problems was to sacrifice a chicken, a pig or a larger animal, depending from the magnitude of the affliction. According to local legend, the practice of cutting a human head was intended as a ritual sacrifice in order to improve the fertility of the rice fields. Traditional villages had also shrines (Nyiex Moeg) where a buffalo was sacrificed once every year at a special Y-shaped post named Khaox Si Gang with an offering of the blood, meat and skin performed at it. Animals were also sacrificed at celebrations such as marriages and funerary rituals among the traditional spirit-worshiping Wa, a practice that still endures among the Christian Wa. However, the Wa that were under Buddhist influence developed different traditions.

In the traditional Wa society monogamous marriage was the norm and there was sexual freedom for both men and women before marriage. The chewing of betel with areca nut was formerly also an important custom. The Wa have different kinds of traditional dances. One important dance in their culture is accompanied by the beating of a large hollow wooden drum. This way of dancing, among other Wa dances such as the hair dance and festivals, is being promoted as a tourist attraction by the Yunnan tourism authorities in China. The Wa people also have a well-engrained drinking culture, with large amounts of local moonshine being produced and are widely believed to on average consume the largest amount of alcohol in China.

Lancang Lahu Autonomous County (simplified Chinese: 澜沧拉祜族自治县; traditional Chinese: 瀾滄拉祜族自治縣; pinyin: Láncāng lāhùzú Zìzhìxiàn) is an autonomous county under the jurisdiction of Pu’er City, in southwestern Yunnan province, China. Lancang is the same as Lan Xang, and refers to the Mekong River (known in Chinese as the Lancang) on its eastern borders and adopted by modern Laos, a Tai word meaning Million Elephants. A large portion of the population are of Lahu ethnicity, and Lahu language is one of the official languages in the county. The Aciga 阿茨戛 people of Lancang County number about 50 individuals, and are located in Yakou Township 雅口乡 and Nanxian Township 南现乡 (You 2013:134). Their original language had become extinct, and the Aciga now speak Chinese and Yi. The Aciga are currently classified by the Chinese government as ethnic Yi.

Lahu People History

Legend says that the forbears of the Lahu people, who were hunters, began migrating southward to lush grassland which they discovered while pursuing a red deer. Some scholars hold that during the Western Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago, the “Kunmings,” the nomadic tribe pasturing in the Erhai area in western Yunnan, might be the forbears of certain ethnic groups, including the Lahus. Then, the “Kunming” people still lived in a primitive society “without common rulers.” They belonged to different clans engaged in hunting. The Lahu people once were known for their skill at hunting tigers. They roved over the lush slopes of the towering Ailao and Wuliang mountains.

In the 8th century, after the rise of the Nanzhao regime in Yunnan, the Lahu people were compelled to move south. By no later than the beginning of the 18th century they already had settled in their present-day places. Influenced by the feudal production methods of neighboring Han and Dai peoples, they turned to agriculture. With economic development, they gradually passed into a feudal system, and their life style and customs were more or less influenced by the Hans and Dais.

Clubs & Bars & KTVs

Come Bar(来吧)

Address: Minzu Street, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County(澜沧拉祜族自治县民族街)

Qingfeng Town(清风小镇)

Address: Jianshe Road, Menglang Town, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County(澜沧拉祜族自治县勐朗镇建设路)

11.6 Zhendi Bar(11.6阵地)

Address: Lusheng Road, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County(澜沧拉祜族自治县芦笙路)

20:30 Leisure Bar(20:30休闲酒吧)

Address: Lancang Lahu Autonomous County(澜沧拉祜族自治县芦笙路)

Qingfeng Night KTV(清风唱晚KTV)

Address: Lancang Lahu Autonomous County(澜沧拉祜族自治县)

Tel: 15125616592

Coffee & Tea & Ice Cream

Tea House(寻茶楼)

Address: Lancang Lahu Autonomous County(澜沧拉祜族自治县)

Tel: 13769926262

Huiyou Tea House(会友茶楼)

Address: Near the Huancheng Road, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County(澜沧拉祜族自治县环城路附近)

Yinshu Tea House(饮舒茶楼)

Address: Near the Huancheng Road, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County(澜沧拉祜族自治县环城路附近)

Laonietao Dai Snack and Beverage Stores(老咩淘傣味小吃冷饮店)

Address: Lancang Lahu Autonomous County(澜沧拉祜族自治县)

Tel: 13577985333

The Festival of Lahu People

The Spring Festival is regarded as the grandest days which are called ‘Kuota’ in their language and can be divided into the great year and the lesser year. The great year, from the first day to the fourth of the first lunar month, is celebrated especially for women and the other one from the ninth day to the eleventh, for men. The ‘full year’ indicates the twelfth day of that month and is celebrated by all the people.

This is derived from an old custom. Long ago, the men hunted afar and could not arrive home by the start of the New Year. When they returned, women would celebrate the New Year again with them. On the first day, they hurry to carry the first barrel of ‘new water’ that is the token of happiness, then worship their ancestors, and feed oxen with tender grass; on the third day, they visit each other with gifts of food, singing and dancing; after the ‘full year’ they hold various activities like swinging and playing the peg-top. This will last till the fifteenth day.