The Lahu ethnic minority has a population of 453,705, distributed in the Lancang Lahu Coounty, Southerm Lancang Prefecture and Menghai County in western Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province.
Their subtropical hilly areas along the Lancang River is fertile, suitable for planting rice paddy, dry rice, maize, buckwheat as well as tea, tobacco, and sisal hemp. There are China fir and pine, camphor and nanmu trees in the forests, which are the habitat for red deer, muntjacs, wild oxen, bears, peacocks and parrots. Medicinal herbs found are pseudo-ginseng and devil pepper.
Mineral resources are iron, copper, lead, aluminum, coal, silver, mica and tungsten,
Most of the Lahus speak Chinese and the language of the Dais. Their language belongs to the Chinese-Tibetan language family.
More than 2,000years ago, many scholars thought that the "Kunmings". the nomadic tribe pasturing in the Erhai area in western Yunnan were the forbears of the Lahus. The Lahu people once were known for their skill at hunting tigers. They roved the lush slopes near them.
In the 8th century, the Lahu people were compeled to omove south. By no later than the beginining of the 18th century they already had settled in their present-day place. They turned to agriculture and a feudal system following many of the customs of the Hans and Dais.
The Lahu man wear a collarless jacket buttoned on the right side, baggy long trousers, and a black turban. The women wear a long robe with slits along the legs. Around the collar and slits are sewn broad strips of color cloth with beautifulk patterns and sudded with silver ornaments. Women's headdress extends a dozen feel long, hanging down the back and reaching the waists.
The building style, similar to the Dais, is with stilts, allowing space below for domestic animals.
Monogamy was practice. In some areas, young people were free to choose marriage partners, and women played the dominant part in marital relations.
Traditionally, the dead were cremated.
The Lahu used to worship many gods. In the early Quing Dynasty, Mahayana was introduced into the Lahu areas from Dali by Buddhist monks. These monks were opposed to the Quing regime and religion came to merge with politics.
Music and dance of the Lahu people have unique styles and are permeated with life. They use the lusheng- a reed pipe wind instrument and three-stringed guitar.
Handicrafts include ironwork, weaving and bamboo handiwork, but few products are sold on the market. The Lahu have led a poor life and their production was backward under the rule of Dai chieftains and the exploitation by Han landlords and merchants.
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