Hani people

There are 12,500 Hani living in Lai Châu Province and Lào Cai Province of Vietnam. The Ho reside in the mountainous northern regions of Phongsaly Province in Laos, near the Chinese and Vietnamese borders. China Over ninety percent of present-day Hani peoples live in the Province of Yunnan in Southern China, located across the Ailao Mountains, between the Mekong River and the Red River (Yuanjiang river). Subdivisions of Hani autonomous counties within prefecture-level cities and a prefecture, within Yunnan are: • Mojiang Hani Autonomous County – Pu'er City (prefecture-level city) • Jiangcheng Hani and Yi Autonomous County – Pu'er City • Ning'er Hani and Yi Autonomous County – Pu'er City • Yuanjiang Hani, Yi and Dai Autonomous County – Yuxi (prefecture-level city) • Zhenyuan Yi, Hani and Lahu Autonomous County – Pu'er City • Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture ==Origins==

The origins of the Hani are not precisely known, though their ancestors, the ancient Qiang tribe, are believed to have migrated southward from the Qinghai–Tibetan plateau prior to the third century CE. The Hani oral traditions state that they are descended from the Yi people, and that they split off as a separate tribe fifty generations ago. One of their oral traditions is the recital of the names of Hani ancestors from the first Hani family down to oneself. ==Culture==

Hani houses are usually two or three stories high, built with bamboo, mud, stone and wood. The traditional clothing of the Hani is made with dark blue fabric. The men dress in short jackets and in long wide pants. They also wear white or black turbans. The women dress depending on which clan they belong to. There is no gender difference in the clothing of children under the age of seven. Hani are known for their vocal polyphonic singing. Eight-part polyphony was recorded in the 1990s. Their traditional musical instruments include an end-blown flute called labi (俄比) and a 3-stringed plucked lute called lahe. Terraced fields are a feature of their agricultural practices. , Yunnan Province, China. Religion The Hani are polytheists and they profess a special adoration toward the spirits of their ancestors. One of the Hani people's most known cultural practices are their cultivated terraced rice paddy. This has been a traditional practice for over 1300 years, creating a unique agroecosystem attracting both tourists and researchers. The terraces are recognized as a UNESCO Heritage Site and are often cited as an example of traditional farming methods. This employment pattern of the Hani farmers, influenced by their culture, is significant in the continued maintenance of the terraces. Challenges still exist within this ancient farming civilization. Fewer people, especially the younger generation, are able to master the traditional terraced farming techniques. In Aichun village, "about 600 people are between 20 and 40 years old, roughly one-fifth of the total population, but only 40 of them know the whole procedure of growing the red rice". Therefore, to prevent the land from being abandoned, remaining villagers work the fields. Additionally, the local government and tourist businesses partner with farmers. Farmers lease their lands to businesses, ensuring organized land management and providing villagers with steady incomes from both lease payments and farming. ==Subgroups==

China According to You Weiqiong (2013:159–160), Hani subgroups were classified as follows in 1954, with 11 primary branches. Respective locations (counties) are listed as well. • Hani 哈尼 • Nuobi 糯比: in Xinping, Mojiang • Qidi 其弟/期弟: in Honghe, Mojiang, Puer, Zhenyuan, Sipsongpanna • Mahei 麻黑: in Puer, Jinggu, Zhenyuan • Luomian 罗勉: in Luquan, Wuding • Lami 腊米: in Zhenyuan, Mojiang, Honghe, Sipsongpanna • Kabie 卡别: in Mojiang • Duota 堕塔: in Puer, Xinping, Zhenyuan • Sanda 三达: in Sipsongpanna. The Sanda people live in Sanda Township 三达乡 (including in Dazhai 大寨) of Jinghong City, and speak a Yi language with many Hani loanwords (You 2013:136–137). • The Flowery Hani (Hà Nhì Hoa), who are found in Lai Châu Province and are further split into two subgroups. • Hà Nhì Cồ Chồ • Hà Nhì La Mí • The Black Hani, who are found in Bát Xát District, Lào Cai Province In Vietnam, communes consisting almost exclusively of ethnic Hani include Sín Thầu, Chúng Chải, Mù Cả, Ka Lăng, Thu Lủm (all in Mường Tè District), Y Tý and A Lù (all in Bát Xát District). The Hani of A Lù had originally come from Jinping County of Yunnan, China, and had later spread from A Lù to the communes of Lao Chải, Nậm Pung, and Ngài Thầu. ==See also==