The Lisu

In the northern mountains of Tengchong County, down to the border highlands of northwestern Lianghe and Yingjiang Counties, and over the border in adjacent ranges of northern Burma, live the Hua Lisu, or Flowery Lisu. They usually reside in pocket valleys or elevated plains, in simple houses of brick and wood. The architecture is unimpressive and the scenery usually unspectacular, but perhaps because of the rather drab and ordinary environment they adorn themselves with one of the most colourful costumes of any branch of this widely dispersed minority nationality. Moreover, they are the major Lisu sub-group in Yunnan which did not convert to Christianity.

Generally speaking, the Lisu live by themselves in the mountains of Tengchong and Lianghe, with Han settlements at lower altitudes. Besides farming and animal husbandry, the lumber business employs many. They sometimes come down to townships like Guyong, Gudong and Mingguang on market days, trading highland crops and hides from their animals for rice, vegetables and other articles. They are conspicuous by their splendid garments. Nearly all the women dress Lisu style and so do a large proportion of the men.

Both men and women wear wide-legged, knee-length trousers and embroidered leggings. Men's leggings are white with small red tassels, women's more colourful, sometimes wrapped with lacquered black rattan rings. Men wear a Tibetan-style jacket, wide sash belt, short sword and a broad-brimmed felt hat. When they dress up they add a bandoleer or two of cowry shells. Women wear long-tailed coats with brightly striped flaps that hang over the back. The coat is fastened down the front, often with big silver buckles, and tied at the waist with a belt with embroidered ends.

Women's headgear and jewellery vary somewhat. The traditional head-dress is a thick, round band, studded with discs cut from white shells, cowry shells, silver studs or white plastic buttons. It may have a tassel hanging down the back or even an embroidered flap of cloth. Black turbans are a more informal type of headgear, but nowadays one is as likely to see wool stocking caps and red baseball caps as often as the traditional styles, though the women will otherwise be garbed entirely in Lisu style.

Jewellery may be a dozen or more long strands of beads looped around the neck. More popular is the round collar, decorated with cowry shells, silver studs or round shell discs, which hangs around the neck down to the collarbone. From the front of this collar many silver pendants hang, often covering the chest.