Gelao people
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| China: Guizhou, Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, smaller populations in Vietnam | |
| Languages | |
| Gelao | |
| Religion | |
| Taoism, Buddhism [1] |
The Gelao people (also spelled Gelo) (own name: Klau, Chinese: 仡佬族; pinyin: Gēlǎozú) are an ethnic group of China and Vietnam. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. However, many Gelao are also variously classified as Yi, Miao, and Zhuang by the Chinese government.
They number approximately 438,200 and are mainly located in the western part of the Guizhou Province, including such places as Liupanshui, Anshun, Dafang, and Bijie. Some live in western Guangxi, southeastern Yunnan, and southern Sichuan. The main religion practiced is Taoism with a small but significant Buddhist minority.
History
The Gelao people are often considered to be the aboriginal inhabitants of Guizhou. The ancestors of the Gelao were the Liáo (僚), who made up the population of the ancient Yelang (夜郎) kingdom.
Language
The Gelao language belongs to the Kadai language family. Today, only a small minority of the Gelaos still speak this language. Since the various Gelao dialects differ greatly from each other, Mandarin has been used as a lingua franca and is now the main language spoken by Gelaos. The Miao, Yi and Buyei languages are also used.
Culture
The traditional suits of the men consist of jacket done up to a side and long pants. The women utilize short jackets and narrow skirts divided into three parts: the head office is elaborate in red wool while the other two are of fabric bordered in black and white colors. Men and women utilize long scarves.
In their traditional music, the Gelao use a two-stringed fiddle with a body made from a cow horn, called the jiaohu (角胡; pinyin: jiǎohú).
Yi people
The Yi people (羿人), who number no more 3,000, live in in the Chishui (赤水) area in Xuyong County, Sichuan, which is on the border with Guizhou.[1] They are a subgroup of the Gelao but have a distinctive history. The Yi call themselves the gau13.[2] In comparison, the Gelao of Xinzhai 新寨, Puding 普定, Guizhou, call themselves the qau13. The Yi live in:
- Chishui village 赤水镇, Xuyong County 叙永县, Sichuan
- Napangou 纳盘沟, Gulin County 古蔺县, Sichuan
- Xiaohe 小河, Puyi 普宜, Bijie County 毕节县, Guizhou
- Yindi 阴底, Bijie County 毕节县, Guizhou
The Yi have been mentioned since the Tang Dynasty, and were said to have come from the north. The Yi are also noted for their belief in the Zitong (子童) Bodhisattva (菩萨).
Unlike most Gelao dialects, the Yi dialect uses a Yi-derived numeral system.
See also
References
- ^ http://baike.baidu.com/view/2096335.htm
- ^ 张済民/Zhang, Jimin. 仡佬语研究/Gelao yu yan jiu (A Study of Gelao). 贵阳市/Guiyang, China: 贵州民族出版社/Guizhou min zu chu ban she, 1993.
External links
- http://www.china.org.cn/e-groups/shaoshu/shao-2-gelo.htm
- "Heaven Book" of the Gelao people
- Ethnologue report on the Gelao language
| Austroasiatic (Vietic) | |
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| Austroasiatic (non-Vietic) | |
| Hmong–Dao | |
| Tai–Kadai | |
| Sino-Tibetan languages | |
| Malayo-Polynesian | |
| Expatriate | |
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