Minorities-Tujia Guide

The Tujia minority is one of the 55 minorities in China. They have roughly a population of 5.7 million and are located mainly in Sichuan, Hunan and Hubei. Their history is more than 2,000 years old. This minority, like most in China, speak their own language including Han Chinese. Other than worshiping "White Tiger" as their ancestor, they have no specific religion. The Tujia ethnic group possesses its own language, but most can speak Mandarin Chinese. At present the Tujia’s language is used only in a few areas; it lacks written characters, so Chinese characters are used instead. Tujia people mostly engage in agriculture. The women are master the art of weaving and embroidering. Tujia people like singing. They have love songs, crying songs sung at weddings ,hand waving songs, and other kind of songs etc. Ba Bao bronze bell dance, which is a traditional dance of Tujia. Tujia musical instruments are the so-na, mu ye, dong-dong-kui, da-jia-huo.The Tujia people have many  

customary manners. When Tujia people meet, they must greet each other. When a guest drops in, the host must be very hospitable. Tujia people eat simple in daily life, but a guest might be served first a bowl of sticky rice rum in summer and a bowl of Tuan San in boiled water, and then a big feast. When a guest is invited for tea, he is usually offered oil tea, Yinmi, Tangyuan, or a half-cooked egg. Tujia people feast for every occasion from wedding and funeral to the construction of a new house.Tujia people observe the traditional festivals very much greatest of which is the Spring festival. Each family will butcher a pig, make mungbean noodles, cook sticky rice wine or make wine for the Spring festival. Zhu Rou He Cai is the important course Tujia people make on the Spring festival or other big days. The second day of the second month of the Chinese calendar is She Day; on that day people will have She meal. Tujia people have Zongzi on Dragonboat Day. Sticky rice baba is one of most popular Tujai

food.Today, traditional Tujia customs can only be found in the most remote areas.The Tujia are renowned for their singing and song composing abilities and for their tradition of the Baishou Dance. a 500 year old collective dance which uses 70 ritual gestures to represent war, farming, hunting, courtship and other aspects of traditional life. They are also famous for their richly-patterned brocade, known as xilankapu, a product that in earlier days regularly figured in their tribute payments to the Chinese court.Regarding religion, most of the Tujia worship a white tiger totem, although some Tujia in western Hunan worship a turtle totem.

• Mawangdui Tombs of Changsha
• Hunan Provincial Museum
• Yuelu Academy
• Golden Whip Stream
• Natural Reserves of Suoxiyu Gully
• Zhangjiajie Forest Reserve
• Yangjiajie Scenic Area
• Tianzishan Nature Reserve
• Minorities-Tujia
• Orange Island Park
• The Window of the World Changsha
• The Love Dusk Pavilion