Kucong Ethnic People

The Kucong people, originally identified as part of the Lahu ethnic group, are a unique minority residing in the remote mountainous regions of Ailao Mountain (哀牢山) and Wuliang Mountain (无量山) in Yunnan Province. Their settlements are situated at an elevation of 1,800 meters in areas such as Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonomous County (金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县), where they traditionally lived in isolation. The total population of the Kucong people is approximately 40,000.

In 1956, traces of the Kucong people were discovered by the People’s Liberation Army working team in the primeval forests along the China-Vietnam border. Since the 1960s, with the assistance of the government, the Kucong people have gradually moved out of the mountains and adopted a settled agricultural lifestyle. In 1985, they were officially recognized as part of the Lahu ethnic group.

Geographic Distribution

The Kucong people predominantly reside in the counties of Jinping, Lüchun, Xinping, and Mojiang in Yunnan Province, China. Their settlements are typically found in high-altitude areas, ranging from 1,800 to 2,100 meters above sea level. The Zemi Lahu Ethnic Township (者米拉祜族乡) in Jinping County is one of the primary areas where the Kucong people live.

Festivals

The Kucong people celebrate two main festivals each year:

• June 24th Festival: A traditional event with historical significance.

• New Year Festival: Celebrated according to the lunar calendar, marking the beginning of the new year.

Cultural Background

The Kucong people are known for their deep connection with the subtropical forests in which they live. They possess extensive knowledge of the local flora and fauna, which has been passed down through generations. This knowledge includes the identification and use of various plants and animals in their environment.

Historically, the Kucong were known as the “Guo Cuo” or “Gu Zong” during the Qing Dynasty. They are also referred to as the “Gua Cuo” in older texts such as the Xin Tang Shu (新唐书). Traditionally, they lived a nomadic, hunting-based lifestyle in the rugged mountains but transitioned to settled agriculture with government support during the 1960s and 1970s.

Today, the Kucong people maintain many aspects of their traditional lifestyle, including their unique language, customs, and festivals, although they are now recognized as part of the Lahu ethnic group.

Mythical Legend

According to legend, one day, as the sun was setting, a large and robust stag was racing through the dense forest. A group of Kucong hunters, known as “Guo Cuo” (苦聪人), armed with poison-tipped arrows and crossbows, were chasing it into the wilderness. The stag leapt deeper into an even thicker part of the forest, and the hunters followed suit. The trees in this area were not very tall, but their branches were extremely dense, blocking the sun and casting the forest into shadow. The further they ventured, the more difficult it became to distinguish east from west, creating an eerie sense of fear among the hunters.

At this moment, an experienced hunter named Lei Diba (雷底巴) advised the group to rest. He quickly selected a taller tree and skillfully climbed up, despite his age. Within minutes, he reached the top of the tree. The tree’s branches were covered with fresh, tender leaves, which the hunter eagerly surveyed. Looking around for a way back to the village, he found himself lost in the vast sea of trees, unable to determine the direction of their settlement.

In a moment of frustration, the seasoned hunter chewed on a nearby leaf. A bitter taste spread across his mouth, and he soon realized that he had possibly been poisoned. Spitting out the leaves, he desperately tried to clear his mouth. His sudden, alarming actions startled the other hunters below, who rushed to climb up to him. In his excitement, Lei Diba suddenly shouted, “NIMO’O, NIMO’O!”—which means “I found it, I see it!” in the Kucong language.

The hunters, confused and curious, watched as Lei Diba landed back on the ground with an expression of pure joy, as if he had just made a momentous discovery. His excitement was akin to Columbus discovering the New World.

Socio-Economic Categories in the 1950s

In the 1950s, the Kucong people’s socio-economic structure could be broadly divided into two categories:

1. Settled Communities in Influenced Regions

In areas such as Zhenyuan, Xinping, Mojiang, Yuanjiang, and Puer (普洱), the Kucong people had already been practicing rice cultivation since the Qing Dynasty. These regions were heavily influenced by the neighboring Yi, Hani, and Han people. With the introduction of rice farming, social stratification emerged, leading to distinctions between the wealthy and the poor.

2. Nomadic Communities in Jinping County

The Kucong people residing in Jinping County, especially those who referred to themselves as the Lahu Xi (拉祜西) or Yellow Kucong, retained many primitive practices. Their agricultural techniques were rudimentary, relying on slash-and-burn methods for farming. During certain months, they experienced hunger due to the inadequacy of their crops. They did not cultivate hemp or cotton and lacked a textile industry. Most of their clothing, such as “hemp short clothes” for men and “short dresses and long skirts” for women, was obtained through trade with the Hani people.

Jewelry and adornments were also traded, with women wearing headbands made from colored rattan, decorated with silver beads, shells, and ornaments. Men often wore animal horns, symbolizing their hunting prowess and bravery.

Customs and Traditions

The Kucong people practice exogamy, meaning they marry outside their clan. Men traditionally live with their wives for several years, sometimes even for life. Major holidays include June 24 and the New Year’s celebration.

The Kucong people were once isolated from the outside world. In the summer of 1956, a working team from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army discovered the Kucong‘s presence in the pristine forests of Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonomous County (金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县) on the border between China and Vietnam. From the 1960s onwards, with government assistance, the Kucong people gradually left the forests, transitioning from a hunting lifestyle to a settled agricultural way of life. They were provided with food, clothes, farm tools, and cattle for farming. In 1985, the Kucong were officially classified as part of the Lahu ethnic group.

The Kucong people mainly reside in Zhemi La (者米拉) Lahu Ethnic Township in Jinping County (金平县), Yunnan Province. Before their liberation in 1957, they lived in the forests, hunting and residing in tree houses. Their villages were cut off from the outside world, with no roads or electricity. Out of a population of over 5,000, only a few were literate, and nearly 90% were illiterate.

For Kucong children, dogs are their playmates, and the wooden frames outside their grass huts serve as playgrounds. They often wear mismatched clothes, and their plastic slippers are gifts from charity. Despite their modest lifestyle, their faces are full of genuine smiles, radiating warmth and charm.

The Kucong made a drastic leap from a primitive society to socialism, facing numerous challenges and struggles to adapt to modern ways. Their knowledge of farming was limited, as they were unaware of the 24 solar terms, making it difficult to determine the best times to plant or weed crops. Their agricultural methods were primitive, and they often experienced periods of hunger. When receiving relief food during the Spring Festival in 1996, they hesitated to carry it down from the mountains, but the local government had to send people up to deliver the supplies.

Sheba Festival (畲葩节)

The Sheba Festival is a traditional holiday celebrated by the Kucong people in Zhedong Town (者东镇), Zhenyuan County. The festival is held from March 3rd to 5th and features various customs and celebrations. Early in the morning, the Kucong people dress in their festive attire, playing traditional instruments such as honey bucket drums, cymbals, and shakers, while singing welcome songs and offering “doorway wine” to greet visitors. This is their unique way of expressing hospitality, gratitude, and good wishes to guests.

The festival showcases several cultural performances, including “Shebi Mu”, “Nuo Mai Jump”, “Lahu Tune”, and a “traditional costume show”, offering visitors a glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of the Kucong people.

Other traditional activities during the festival include crossbow and blowing competitions, as well as displays of Kucong‘s unique clothing, such as spider silk clothing and tree bark clothes.

Economic Situation

The Kucong people, a branch of the Lahu ethnic group, live deep in the Ailao Mountains (哀牢山) and are known for their isolated lifestyle. Some still use tree branches to build houses and live in close quarters with their livestock. Until recently, they had limited access to healthcare, relying solely on sun exposure as their “treatment” method. When they fell ill, they often accepted their fate without much help.

In Mengzhen Village (勐真村), a typical Kucong settlement, the villagers served us traditional snacks such as walnut soup, buckwheat cakes, and honey. While we hesitated to eat, fearing we might unintentionally consume a year’s worth of a family’s income, the simplicity of their lives was evident. Nearby, two pigs were kept in a small enclosure, just a few meters from a cliff.

The Kucong people had little contact with the outside world for generations, living in remote and isolated mountains. The shift from a primitive society directly into socialism was challenging, with outdated beliefs and practices making it difficult to adapt to new changes. Some of the Kucong people, unable to accept the rural household contract responsibility system, retreated back into the mountains to resume hunting with guns.

The situation of the Kucong attracted the attention of the Yunnan Provincial Party Committee and the provincial government. With the personal intervention of the provincial leadership, Yunnan Province allocated substantial funds from 1998 onward to build new houses, schools, and implement the basic needs project in Jinping County, marking a new beginning for the Kucong people.