Phu La ethnic group
Customs and habits
The Phu La worships their ancestors
and believes in animism. They live in various villages, each village containing
about 10-15 households. The house is built very simply with three rooms and a
thatched roof. The oldest men, the village chiefs, and the lineage heads play a
significant role in managing public affairs. The young people are not forced to
marry. After an engagement the bride comes to live with her husband's family;
the wedding, however, may be held one or two years later.
Culture
The Pu La language belongs to the
Tibeto-Burman Group.
Costumes
Men's garments have unique
characteristic such as an open shirt with many glass beads and figures that are
arranged in a cross shape. Women's dresses are embroidered with many colorful
motifs. The women often wear square aprons that are embroidered with motifs and
attached with glass beads sewn in parallel lines or in an eight tipped star
pattern.
Economy
The Phu La depends on farming using
the slash-and-burn method and planting on terraced fields. They rear buffaloes,
horses, and pigs. Basketry is another form of income and they are well known
for their beautifully decorated bamboo and rattan articles. The Phu La often
sells or barters articles for other commodity goods from other ethnic groups.