The Tujia Ethnic Group is also known as Bifzivkar, which means the natives in English. The total population of Tujia is about 8.35 million according to the 2010 nationwide census. They mainly live in Guizhou Province, Hubei Province, Hunan Province and Chongqing. The Tujia people speak their native language which belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family of languages. However, they have not created their own writing system. Most of them also use the Mandarin.
The History of Tujia Nationality
It is commonly believed that the Tujia people are the descendants of the Ancient Ba. The Ancient Ba refers to a vassal state of the Zhou Dynasty which occupied the east part of Sichuan Province and Chongqing. It was destroyed by the Qin State in the year of 316 B.C.. In the following centuries, the ancient Ba people migrated to the nearby provinces, such as Guizhou, Hunan and Hubei. King Linjun was a legendary figure who established the Ancient Ba State. After he passed away, his soul was incarnated as a white tiger. That is the reason why the Tujia people built shrines for the king and worship the white tiger.
Tujia’s Food
The staple food of Tujia people includes rice, corn(maize) and sweet potato. Their favourite dish is the cured pork. They also like Shaobing Pancake and rice wine. The fermented chili sauce is the basic seasoning for cooking.
The Traditional Costume of Tujia People
The Tujia people like to dress in loose clothes. Girls always wear skirts. Their favourite colors are blue, white and black.
Tujia’s Folk Custom
Tujia people are good at dancing and singing. The Hand-waving Dance of Tujia Group is quite famous in the world. It boasts a long history of over 500 years. The dancers can make more than 70 different gestures with their hands to show various aspect of their daily life, such as farming, hunting and courtship. Brides have to learn to weep or cry at the wedding. It is called the weeping wedding. The Tujia’s traditional dwelling is called Diaojiaolou House. It is a wooden building supported piles. Tujia women are skilled at spinning and weaving. The Tujia brocade is called Xilankapu. It is made of silk or cotton, and is one of the top three famous types of brocade in China.
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Author: Tina Luo
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