Yuxi Ethnic Minorities and Customs

Living mainly in the hillside and basin areas in Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou Provinces together with the northwestern part of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Prefecture, the Yi ethnic minority is reputed as a nation with a long history and splendid culture within South Western China. According to the fifth national census shown in 2000, the Yi ethnic minority has a population of 7,762,286. It also has several branches.

Yuxi City is situated in the center of Yunnan Province, only 98 km from Kunming, the capital of the province. Yuxi City covers an area of 15,OOO sq.km., with a population of 2.3 million. This number includes several ethnic minority groups such as the Yi, Hani, Dai, Hui, Mongolian, Bai, Miao and Lahu peoples, who together make up one third of the population.

Eshan is named “the city of flower-drum-dance of Yi nationality”.Recently, Eshan county’s returning of “the city of flower-drum-dance of Yi nationality” has numbered the Fist Immaterial Cultural Heritage Protection List. Till then, the cultural brand of “the city of flower-drum- dance of Yi nationality” in Eshan has been determinated.

Begin with the end of 2004, Eshan county conducted a detailed survey and edition of the folk culture. According to the existed characteristics, manifestation and other factors, Eshan county arranged a great deal of folk cultural deputies, and then defined 54 items which belongs to the Fist Immaterial Cultural Heritage Protection List.

Till to sep., 2004, Eshan county have 594 choirs of flower-drum dancers in total, and own more than 10,000 members, the choir of flower-drum dancers spread every minority villages. During traditional festivals and spare times, Yi nationality will dance the flower-drum to express their emotions.