Religion

The Lahu people used to worship many gods. Their super god was "Exia," who was believed to have created the Universe and mankind, and had the power to decide the good or bad fortune of people. Exia was placed in a forbidden place in the depth of mountainous forests, unapproachable by non-Lahu peoples. They also worshipped the deities of earth and revenge

Bakanai Township in Lancang County has retained Lahu people's traditional facilities for making offerings -- erect poles carved with geometric designs.

In the early Qing Dynasty, Mahayana (a sect of Buddhism) was introduced into the Lahu areas from Dali by Buddhist monks. These Han and Bai monks obviously were opposed to the Qing regime, and in the peasants' wars that followed Buddhism played an important part in mobilizing the people. In Shuangjiang and Lancang counties, religion had come to merge with politics. Military suppression by the Qing government and defeat of the peasant uprisings led to the disintegration of local Buddhist bodies. However, as a religion Mahayana still prevailed among the people.

The music and dances of the Lahu people have their unique styles and are permeated with life. There are many melodies and songs. Traditional musical instruments include the lusheng (a reed pipe wind instrument) and three-stringed guitar. Their dances, numbering about 40, are characterized by foot tapping and swinging to the left. The Lahus have a rich stock of oral literature, most of which is related to physical labor. The most popular form of poetry is called "Tuopuke" or puzzle.

Welcome to China2Go, the talking Chinese phrase book for Windows Mobile Pocket PC and Palm OS. Featuring crystal clear voice recorded by a real person, this product is a great travel companion and an ideal tool to learn Chinese! With our cutting edge voice compression technology, this product includes more than 1000 phrases, their Chinese translation, and the voice in only a few megabytes. Supports all Windows Mobile Pocket PCs. H&H China2Go Talking Phrase Book for Windows Mobile