Bulang Ethnic Minority

Bulang is an ethnic minority with a long history. They speak Bulang language, but have no their own written language. Bulang ethnic minority has a very rich oral culture, which still retains the most distinctive ethnic language, costumes, songs and dances, customs and habits. Bulang is mainly distributed in the western and southwestern border areas of Yunnan province. According to the sixth national census in 2010, the total population of the Bulang minority is 119,639.

History of Bulang Ethnic Minority

According to historical records, an ancient tribe called the “Pu” were the earliest inhabitants of the Lancang and Nujiang river valleys. These people may have been the ancestors of today’s Bulangs. The Pu people have many tribes and are widely distributed. They have been active in the Lancang river and the Nu river basin for a long time. Pu people had many names in Chinese historical records, it was called “Baoman(苞满)” and “Minpu(闽濮)” in Qin and Han dynasties, “Minpu(闽濮)” in the northern and southern dynasties, “Puzi(扑子)” and “Puziman(朴子蛮)” in Sui, Tang, the five dynasties and Song, “Puman(蒲满)” and “Puren(蒲人)” in Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. 

Distribution of Bulang Ethnic Minority

Bulang ethnic minority is mainly distributed in the western and southwestern border areas of Yunnan province, including Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture, Pu’er city and Lincang city. Among them, Bulang people are more concentrated in the towns and townships of Menghai County like Bulang Mountain, Xiding, Bada, Daluo, Mengman and Menggang, and scattered in Shuangjiang, Baoshan, Shidian, Changning, Yunxian, Zhenkang, Yongde, Gengma, Lancang, Mojiang and other cities and counties. Bulangshan Bulang ethnic town is the largest settlement area of Bulang minority, accounting for about 65% of the total population of Bulang. In addition, mountain area of Nanjian, Jingdong, Jinggu, Simao, Jinghong, Mengla and other cities and counties also have a small number of distribution. 

Bulang Ethnic Towns

Economy of Bulang Area

The Blang people inhabit an area with a warm climate, plentiful rainfall, fertile soil and rich natural resources. The main cash crops are cotton, sugar-cane and the world famous Pu’er tea. In the dense virgin forests grow various valuable trees, and valued medicinal herbs such as pseudoginseng, rauwolfia verticillata (used for lowering high blood pressure) and lemongrass, from which a high-grade fragrance can be extracted. The area abounds in copper, iron, sulfur and rock crystal.

Tea of Bulang Ethnic Minority

Since ancient times, tea has been a famous product cultivated by the ancestors of the Bulang people. Most of the places where the Bulang minority lives are now rich in tea in Yunnan, and it is the main producing area of Yunnan large-leaf tea. As early as the Qing dynasty, the famous pu’er tea was a precious tribute of Yunnan and a precious drink in China. By the late Qing dynasty, pu’er tea had been widely consumed by ordinary people. Up to now, the Bulang area is still one of the main raw materials producing areas of pu’er tea and Mengku tea. 

Cultural Heritages of Bulang Ethnic Minority

Inheritors

Festivals of Bulang Ethnic Minority

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