Lo Lo ethnic group
Customs and habits
The Lo Lo mainly worships their
ancestors. Their villages are located on mountain slopes close to sources of
water. They live in grouped villages, each village having 20 to 25 houses.
These houses are built either on stilts, half on stilts and half on the ground,
or level with the ground. People of the same lineage live in the same village.
The leader of the lineage is called the Thau Chu. This leader is responsible
for ritual ceremonies and the preservation of the customs of that lineage. The
Lo Lo practice monogamy and the wife come to live in her husband's house after
marriage. The Lo Lo use bronze drums for special occasions, but bury these
drums in the earth for maintenance, and unearth them only for usage. The head
of each family lineage is the keeper of the bronze drums. These drums are only
used at funerals or to keep time during dances.
Culture
The Lo Lo language belongs to the
Tibeto-Burman Group. Their written language used pictographic scripts which are
no longer in use. The calendar of the Lo Lo divides the year into 11 months,
each corresponding to the name of an animal. The folklore culture of the Lo Lo
is diverse. It is expressed particularly well in dances, songs, and old tales.
The Lo Lo people have a high level of education, as many are university
graduates or they have finished secondary education.
Costumes
The Lo Lo Hoa women often wear a
low-neck vest and a pair of trousers underneath a short skirt. Lo Lo Den men
wear pajama-style trousers and a square necked vest pulled over their heads.
Colourful designs are incorporated into their turbans, vests, skirts, and
trousers.
Economy
The Lo Lo depends mainly on maize
and rice as forms of income generation.
