Yao People Introduction

2015-09-04 01:14:15 Author：culture Source：National culture Browse number：0 Comment 0 A

Yao Nationality(瑶族) is a very interesting ethnic group living in southwest China and Southeast Asia, who deem themselves as the descendants of dogs and during grand occasions dogs enjoy the privilege to eat prior to men. Legend had it that a war occurred between two influential kings in south China, which lasted for decades. One king declared that anyone who killed his opponent will be awarded with his beautiful daughter. The ancestor of Yao nationality, an extraordinary dog, shouldered the mission. It slipped into the military camp and beheaded this opponent. The following day, it went to claim its prize. Considering it is a dog, this king hesitated but it was too late to regret. Hence, he obeyed his promise but under one condition, they must live in the remote hilly areas. During midnight, this dog changed into a handsome young man miraculously and they lived happily ever after. They place they live is Qianjiaodong, the eternal hometown of Yao people. Though sounds like the Yao version Sleeping Beauty, it is kind of derogatory.

As a matter of fact, Yao people are very versatile, productive and intelligent, who are renowned for assorted festivals such as Panwang Festival, extravagant attires, marvelous crafts, exotic love and marriage customs, diversified singing and dancing as well as the time-honored herb Spa with outstanding medical properties.


Guoshan Yao	Guoshan Yao

Daban Yao	Pai Yao

Distribution

Numbered at over two million, Yao people are scattered in southern and southwest China’s Gangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan as well as Southeast Asia. 60% of Yao people center on Guangxi. Over 170 thousand Yao people are distributed in Yunnan. With few occupying the river valleys or hilly slopes, the majority are found in high mountains. To highlight its extensive footprints, a saying goes like this: every hill in south China is occupied by Yao people.

China has 12 Yao autonomous counties and over 200 Yao autonomous townships. Here goes the detailed list:

Guangxi	Gongchen Yao Autonomous County (恭城瑶族自治县),Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County (富川瑶族自治县), Du’an Yao Autonomous County (都安瑶族自治县), Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County (金秀瑶族自治县), Bama Yao Autonomous County (巴马瑶族自治县) and Dahua Yao Autonomous County (大化瑶族自治县)
Guangdong	Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County(乳源瑶族自治县) Lianshan Zhuang and Yao Autonomous County(连山壮族瑶族自治县) Liannan Yao Autonomous County(连南瑶族自治县)
Hunan	Jianghua Yao Autonomous County(江华瑶族自治县)
Yunnan	Jinping Miao Yao and Dai Autonomous County(金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县) Hekou Yao Autonomous County(河口瑶族自治县)

Four subgroups of Yao Nationality

since Yuan dynasty, Yao people have frequented the frontier area where Hunan, Guangxi and Guangdong meet. Living by farming and animal husbandry, they mingled with Han Chinese and yet clung to their own traditions. The following dynasties saw their lifestyles changed dramatically and four main subgroups emerged, with each has its own distinctive features. They are Pan Yao(盘瑶), Bunu Yao, Chashan Yao(茶山瑶) and Pingdi Yao(平地瑶) respectively. Pan Yao constitute the majority of Yao population, who speak standard Yao language; Bunu Yao speak Bunu Lanuage, while Pingdi Yao speak mandarin. These four subgroups fall into 39 branches in total. To our astonishment, Yao boasts over 400 nicknames, which are based on their different headgears, habitats, lifestyles, totems, family names, political doctrines and ancestral worships. For instance, those who favor red clothes are grouped into Red Clothes Yao, those good at planting tea are named as Chashan Yao and those worship Panhu are labeled as Panyao.