The Blang (布朗族, Bùlǎngzú; also spelled Bulong) people are an

ethnic group An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

Names

Yan & Zhou (2012:147)Yan Qixiang ��其香& Zhou Zhizhi ��植志(2012). ''Mon-Khmer languages of China and the Austroasiatic family'' ��国孟高棉语族语言与南亚语系 Beijing: Social Sciences Academy Press ��会科学文献出版社 list the following autonyms of ethnic Bulang in various counties. *' (布朗): in

Xishuangbanna Xishuangbanna, Sibsongbanna or Sipsong Panna ( Tham: , New Tai Lü script: ; ; th, สิบสองปันนา; lo, ສິບສອງພັນນາ; shn, သိပ်းသွင်ပၼ်းၼႃး; my, စစ်ဆောင်� ...

*' (阿佤): in Shuangjiang and Lancang counties *' (乌德尔): some Bulang of Shuangjiang; means ' mountain people' *' (乌): in Yongde (' in Gantang 甘塘), Zhenkang, Shidian (' in Hazhai 哈寨), Changning counties *' (佤): in Mojiang County Exonyms for Bulang include (Yan & Zhou 2012:147): *' (谟): Dai exonym for the Bulang of

*' (阿别):

Hani Hani may refer to: People * Hani (name) * Hani (producer), a record producer and remixer from New York City * Hani (singer), a South Korean singer and member of EXID * Hani people, an ethnic group of China and Vietnam Places * Hani, an island in ...

exonym for the Bulang of

*' (拉): Dai exonym for the Bulang of Shuangjiang *' (卡朴): : Lahu exonym for the Bulang *' (巴尔克): Wa exonym for the Bulang of Cangyuan *''Puman'' (濮曼, 蒲满): Han Chinese exonym for the Bulang

Languages

People classified as Bulang in China speak various Palaungic languages, including Blang and U. The Blang language belongs to the

Palaungic The nearly thirty Palaungic or Palaung–Wa languages form a branch of the Austroasiatic languages. Phonological developments Most of the Palaungic languages lost the contrastive voicing of the ancestral Austroasiatic consonants, with the disti ...

branch of the

Austroasiatic The Austroasiatic languages , , are a large language family in Mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. These languages are scattered throughout parts of Thailand, Laos, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nepal, and southern China and are th ...

language family. Within the Palaungic branch, Blang belongs to the Waic subgroup, which also contains the languages of the Wa and Lawa peoples in addition to Blang. Some Blang also speak the

Chinese language Chinese (, especially when referring to written Chinese) is a group of languages spoken natively by the ethnic Han Chinese majority and many minority ethnic groups in Greater China. About 1.3 billion people (or approximately 16% of the ...

and Southwestern Tai languages in addition to Blang. Two systems of writing based on the

Latin alphabet The Latin alphabet or Roman alphabet is the collection of letters originally used by the ancient Romans to write the Latin language. Largely unaltered with the exception of extensions (such as diacritics), it used to write English and the ...

have been developed: 'Totham' in the

and 'Tolek' from Dehong and

Lincang Lincang () is a prefecture-level city located in the southwest of Yunnan province, People's Republic of China. History Lincang was previously called Baihuai during the Shang dynasty. On December 26, 2003, the state council approved the cance ...

History

Chinese ethnographers identify the Blang as descendants of an ancient tribe known as the "Pu" (濮), who lived in the Lancang river valley during ancient times. It is believed that these people were one branch of a number of peoples that were collectively known to the ancient Chinese as the Bǎipú (百濮, literally Hundred Pu).

Culture

Traditionally, the Blang considered teeth blackened by chewing

betel nut The betel (''Piper betle'') is a vine of the family Piperaceae, which includes pepper and kava. The betel plant is native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel pla ...

s a beauty characteristic. The women usually dress in jackets with black skirts. The men had tattoos in the torso and the stomach. They dressed in wide black trousers and jackets buttoned to the front. Often they would wear turbans of either white or black fabric. The houses of the Blang are made out of bamboo and usually consist of two floors. The first floor is designed as a warehouse for food and a stable for livestock animals, such as chickens, whereas the second is designed to house the family. The chimney is located in the center of the house. The Blang are traditionally divided into small

clans A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clans may claim descent from founding member or apical ancestor. Clans, in indigenous societies, tend to be endogamous, mea ...

, with each clan owning its own land. Every Blang town has its own cemeteries, which are divided by clans. The deceased are buried, with the exception of those who perished due to unnatural causes. In this case they are cremated. Bulang are among th
earliest known cultivators of tea
with natural tea forest canopy home to unique species & ecosystems as opposed to

monoculture In agriculture, monoculture is the practice of growing one crop species in a field at a time. Monoculture is widely used in intensive farming and in organic farming: both a 1,000-hectare/acre cornfield and a 10-ha/acre field of organic kale are ...

fertilizer A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...

pesticide Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and ...

consuming tea plantations.

Religion

The Blang are traditionally associated with

animism Animism (from Latin: ' meaning ' breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things— animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather syst ...

, ancestor worship, and

Theravada Buddhism ''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...

. Writing in 2011, James Miller described these overlapping traditions as follows, "The Blang, like many nationalities in southwest China are Theravada Buddhists, but their highly complex religious life is also informed by local beliefs and customs that relate to the traditional ecology, with special attention being paid to rice, water, bees, beeswax, and the various local spirits that are associated with them." An overtly Christian missionary source (i.e., with observations reflecting attempts to convert the Bulang) describes them as "ardent followers of Theravada Buddhism", and offers as an estimate that 80% of the Bulang are "professing Buddhists", with a lower estimate of 35% being "practicing Buddhists".

Distribution

The Bulang are distributed in the following villages of Yunnan province (Tao 2012:16-18). Except for the Bulang of

, the Bulang of most of these counties speak the

U language The U language or P'uman (), is spoken by 40,000 people in the Yunnan Province of China and possibly Myanmar. It is classified as an Austroasiatic language in the Palaungic branch. In China, U speakers are classified as ethnic Bulang. Locatio ...

(Svantesson 1991). Locations from Wang & Zhao (2013:173-179) are also included.Wang Xingzhong ��兴中& Zhao Weihua ��卫华 2013. ''Geography and multilingualism in Lincang'' ��沧地理与双语使用 Kunming: Yunnan People's Press ��南人民出版社 * Menghai County (pop. 30,678; 33% of all ethnic Bulang in China) **''Bulangshan (Bulang Mountain) Township'' 布朗山乡 **''Bada Township'' 巴达乡 **''Xiding Township'' 西定乡 * Shuangjiang County (pop. 12,527; 7.9% of all ethnic Bulang in China) **''Bangbing Township'' 邦丙乡 (17 villages) **''Dawen Township'' 大文乡 (12 villages) **''Mengku Township'' 勐库镇 (3 villages, including Gongnong 公弄村 and Mangna 忙那村) **''Shahe Township'' 沙河乡 (3 villages) * Yongde County (pop. 6,630) **''Yongkang Township'' 永康镇: Songgui 送归, Luo'ade 罗阿德, Xiaobaishui 小白水, Luoshuiba 落水坝, Xiamangping 下忙坪, Nanmusuan 南木算, Manghai 忙海, Yatang 鸭塘, Duande 端德村, Mangkuang 忙况村, Reshuitang 热水塘村 **''Xiaomengtong Township'' 小孟统乡: Dazhai 大寨, Hudong 户董, Hewei 河尾, Landizhai 烂地寨, Banpo 半坡 **''Mengban Township'' 勐板乡: Ganzhe 甘蔗, Xiazhai 下寨, Dazhai 大寨, Huangguozhai 黄果寨, Datian 大田, Nandongshan 南董山, Xiahuya 下户丫 **''Dashan Township'' 大山乡: Huwei 户威, Hongshan 红山, Malizhai 麻栗寨, Pahong 怕红 **''Dedang Township'' 德党乡: Qianshandong 钻山洞村, Mangjiantian 忙见田村 **''Menggong 勐汞乡, Zhaigang 寨岗乡, Daxueshan 大雪山乡 Townships'' * Yun County (pop. 5,741) **''Manghuai Township'' 忙怀乡: Bangliu 邦六, Gaojingcao 高井槽 **''Manwan Township'' 漫湾镇: Dapingzhang 大平掌, Manjiu 慢旧, Hetaolin 核桃林村 **''Maolan Township'' 茂兰乡: Mao'an 茂岸, Zhanglong 掌龙 **''Dazhai Township'' 大寨乡: Xinhe 新合, Pingzhang 平掌, Dacun 大村, Reshuitang 热水塘 **''Yongbao Township'' 涌宝乡: Shilong 石龙, Langbashan 浪坝山, Laolu 老鲁 **''Lishu Township'' 栗树乡: Mangbang 忙蚌, Manlang 慢郎, Xiaobanggan 小邦赶 * Gengma County (pop. 2,957) **''Manghong Township'' 芒洪乡: Keqie 科且村, Anya 安雅村 **''Mengyong Township'' 勐永镇: Mangnuozhai 忙糯寨 **''Gengxuan Township'' 耿宣镇: Mangfu 芒福, Bakazhai 坝卡寨 **''Xipaishan Township'' 西排山乡: Dongpo 东坡村, Bankang 班康村 * Lincang County (pop. 450) **''Pingcun Township'' 平村乡: Nayu 那玉村 **''Zhangtuo Township'' 章驮乡 **''Mayidui Township'' 蚂蚁堆乡 (small population) **''Quannei Township'' 圈内乡 (small population) * Zhenkang County (pop. 452) **''Muchang Township'' 木场乡: Dalong 大拢村 (majority of Bulang) **''Nansan Town'' 南伞镇: Daoshui 道水村 (small population) * Fengqing County (pop. 1,276) **''Dazhai Township'' 大寨乡: Dalise 大立色村, Qiongyin 琼英村, Pingzhang 平掌村 **''Sanchahe Township'' 三岔河乡: Shantoutian 山头田村 **''Dasi 大寺乡, Yingpan 营盘乡, Fengshan 凤山乡, Luodang 洛党乡 Townships'' *

Shidian County Shidian County () is under the administration of the prefecture-level city of Baoshan, in the west of Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and h ...

(pop. 6,712) **''Bailang Township'' 摆榔乡: Hazhai 哈寨, Upper and lower Mulaoyuanzhai 上下木老元寨, Dazhong Jianshan 大中尖山, Yaoguang 姚光 * Changning County (pop. 1,000+) **''Kasi Township'' 卡斯乡: Xingu 新谷, Shuanglong 双龙, Yingbaizhai 应百寨, Ergoudi 二沟地 **''Gengga Township'' 更嘎乡: Baicaolin 百草林, Dachushui 大出水 * Lancang County (pop. 6,500) **''Huimin Township'' 惠民乡: Manjing 蛮景, Manhong 蛮洪, Wengji 翁机, Wengwa 翁洼 **''Qianliu Township'' 谦六乡: Dagang 打岗, Dagun 打滚, Machang 马厂, Danao 大脑 **''Dongwen Township'' 文东乡: Shuitang 水塘, Jiuku 旧苦, Pasai 帕赛 (in Nagongzhai 那巩寨), Nasai 那赛 * Mojiang County (pop. 1,000+) **''Jingxing Township'' 景星乡: Taihe 太和村 * Jinggu County (pop. 1000+) **''Bi'an Township'' 碧安乡: Guangmin 光明村 **''Mengban Township'' 勐班乡: Manhai 蛮海村 ("Lawa" 拉瓦话 speakers) **''Banpo Township'' 半坡乡: Bandu 班督村 * Jingdong County **''Baodian Township'' 保甸乡 * Simao County **''Zhulin Township'' 竹林乡: Cizhulin 茨竹林村, Dacheshu 大车树村布朗族研究 (1991) Ethnic Bulang villages are also located in

Jinghong Jinghong (; khb, ᨩ᩠ᨿᨦᩁᩩ᩵ᨦ; th, เชียงรุ่ง, , ; lo, ຊຽງຮຸ່ງ; also formerly romanised as ''Chiang Hung'', ''Chengrung'', ''Cheng Hung'', Jeng Hung, ''Jinghung'', ''Keng Hung'', ''Kiang Hung'' and ' ...

City, including in Kunhan Dazhai 昆罕大寨村 in Dahuangba Village 大荒坝村, Dadugang Township 大渡岗乡.陈娥; 郭云春 2016. 昆罕大寨布朗族经济发展与母语保护. 曲靖师范学院学报.

References

External links

RWAAI (Repository and Workspace for Austroasiatic Intangible Heritage

Samtao in RWAAI Digital Archive

U in RWAAI Digital Archive
{{authority control Ethnic groups officially recognized by China