The Deang ethnic group, with a current population of 15,000 (1990), is a unique ethnic group in Yunnan. They mainly live in Luxi County and Zhenkang County, Yunnan Province, with a few scattered in Yingjiang, Ruili, Longchuan, Baoshan, Lianghe, Gengma and other places live together with the Dai, Jingpo, Wa and other ethnic groups.
The Deang people[1] (also known as Benglong people) are one of the ethnic minorities in China. The current population is 15,462 people. They are mainly scattered in Luxi (now Mangshi) in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province and Zhenkang County in Lincang Prefecture. Others are distributed in Yingjiang, Ruili, Longchuan, Baoshan, Lianghe, Longling, Gengma and other counties. It coexists with the Dai, Jingpo, Lisu, Wa, Han and other ethnic groups.
The De'ang people living in Dehong area call themselves "De'ang", while those living in Zhenkang, Gengma and other counties call themselves "Nian" or "Na'ang". "Ang" is the national self-proclaimed name, which means "rock" or "cave". "De", "Ni" and "Na" are additional words for honorifics.
The Deang people have their own language and writing. The language belongs to the Wa Deang branch of the Mon-Khmer family of Austro-Asiatic languages. The writing is not widely circulated and is mainly used to record the history, morals, laws and regulations of the nation and write Buddhist scriptures. Many people are proficient in Dai, Chinese or Jingpo.
Edit this paragraph Overview of ethnic groups. Most Chinese history books believe that the De'ang, Wa, Brown and other ethnic groups are descendants of the Pu people of Yunnan during the Han and Jin Dynasties. They were called Puzi and Mang people during the Tang and Song Dynasties, and were called Puzi and Mang people during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. For gold teeth, Pu people. Since the Qing Dynasty, historical records such as Qianlong's "Donghua Lu" and Guangxu's "Yongchang Prefecture" have called them "Benglong". The local Han people also called the "Bielie" branch "Bielie" based on the characteristics of their women's clothing. "Red Benglong", "Rumai" branch is called "Black Benglong", and "Rubo" branch is called "Hua Benglong".
After liberation, the name "Benglong" was used for ethnic identification. Later, according to the will of the ethnic group and approved by the State Council, it was officially called "Deang" from September 21, 1985. clan". Speaking of the Pu people, in ancient times they mostly lived in the southwest area of ??Yunnan, which is the old land of the ancient "Ailao Kingdom" mentioned in history books. It was a vast area of ??"three thousand miles from east to west and 4,600 miles from north to south", including the current Dali, Baoshan, De
De'ang people
Hong, Linlun, Xishuangbanna and other places and states.
The Pu people were one of the ethnic groups with a large population in ancient times, and they were also one of the ancient ethnic groups that developed southwest Yunnan earlier. Therefore, the names of some rivers and products have the imprint of the Pu people. Today's Yuanjiang River , was called "Pushui" in ancient times; the dragon bamboo in Yongchang County was called "Pu bamboo" and was once a tribute from the ancient Pu people to the emperor of the Central Plains. Documentary records and legends from other ethnic groups reflect that the Pu people, the ancestors of Deang, are an ancient ethnic group in Yongchang County. They made full use of the favorable conditions of "fertile land suitable for grains and sericulture" to plant rice and weave kapok cloth. Their social economy developed as far back as the Han and Jin Dynasties. The feudal ruling class of the Central Plains, on the one hand, actively used the Pu people's advanced production technology, and on the other hand, it greatly reduced the Pu people's wealth, making the Pu people miserable and constantly revolting. Although there are many Pu people in Yongchang County and their residences are relatively large, their development is extremely uneven.
Located along transportation lines or in areas with better natural conditions, the socio-economic development is faster and the culture is higher. In some areas, the socio-economic development is slow, the textile industry is underdeveloped, and there is a lack of clothing. Ancient historians regarded This part of Pu people is called "naked Pu". The De'ang people had a prosperous era in history. In the past, they had many branches, such as Ruwang, Ruguo, Ru'e, Rujin, Ruben, Rubo, Rubieya, Rumaia, Ruang, and Ru La, Ruwang, Ruke, Rubielie, Gandebielie, Rubu'e, Rubutong, Rumengding, Rumengdeding, Rugeruo and so on. Historically, the De'ang people used force to dominate the western Yunnan area. Especially from the 12th to the 15th century, the ancestors of the De'ang people established the Golden Tooth Kingdom, which was even more dominant. Later, it gradually declined, so that for a long time it was only They were able to make a living by renting other people's farmland. It was not until 1949 that they owned their own land.
Southwestern Yunnan, where the ancestors of the De'ang people lived, has a very convenient geographical location and is the only place to pass through the "Shu Poison Road", the road from China to India in ancient times.
As far back as a few centuries BC, the Sino-Indian Ancient Road started from Chengdu, Sichuan, and passed through Xichang, Huili, Yunnan (Xiangyun), Xiaguan, Baoshan, Dehong to India. There were many products exported to India from this road. Shu brocade, raw silk and ironware, so people also call it the "Southwestern Silk Road". The De'ang ethnic group is one of the oldest ethnic groups in the southwest frontier, originating from the ancient Pu people. In the Tang and Song Dynasties, they were called "Pu Zi" and "Mang Ren", and in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, they were called "Jin Teeth" and "Pu Ren".
They lived on both sides of the Nujiang River as early as the 2nd century BC. They were the first ethnic group to develop Baoshan and Dehong areas. The Mangman tribe recorded in history books are the ancestors of the De'ang people. They were called "Mangman", "Puziman" and "Wangjuziman" in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. They successively submitted to the Han and Jin Dynasties, Nanzhao and Dali Kingdoms, and Yuan Dynasty. Later, he became a subject of the Dai chieftain. The vast majority of the De'ang people live in mixed villages with the Jingpo, Han, Lisu, Dai and other ethnic groups, and are mainly engaged in agricultural production.
The history books of the Qing Dynasty called it "Benglong", and this name was used in ethnic identification after the founding of New China. According to the wishes of the people of this ethnic group, the name was changed to "De'ang ethnic group" on September 21, 1985.
The Deang people are accustomed to naming their children according to their zodiac animals and rankings. They also use the twelve zodiac signs of the Han people: Cha (rat), Bao (ox), Yi (tiger), Mao (rabbit), Guang ( dragon), sand (snake), fang (horse), hemp (sheep), new (monkey), harvest (chicken), destruction (dog), and cross (pig). What is the zodiac sign of your birthday?
That’s what it’s named after. Add "A" before a boy's zodiac sign, and "Li" before a girl's zodiac sign.
For example, a boy born on a cow day is called "A Bao", and a girl born on a cow day is called "Li Bao". If the names are based on ranking, there will be no distinction between men and women, and they will be called Lasuo (the eldest), Lazuo (the second eldest), and Layue (the third eldest). ?
After the Deang people get married and give birth to a child, they have the habit of keeping their names secret. No one, including their elders, can call their children by their first names anymore.
If the eldest son or daughter of the De'ang family dies early, the parents will be called by the name of the second son or daughter. Some people have not yet given birth to children, but they can also take the names of their children in advance and call them by that name. The De'ang people believe that it is impolite to call people who have children or have children who are older but by their names, such as "He Adai" or "Li Laweng".
The language belongs to the Wa De'ang branch of the Mon-Khmer language family of the Austro-Asiatic language family. In addition to speaking their own ethnic language, this ethnic group can also speak languages ??of nearby ethnic groups, such as Dai, Chinese, Jingpo and Wa.
The De'ang language (taking Nanxian Niochanggou as an example) has the following characteristics:
(1) Phonetically, there are 31 consonants; vowels 9, all divided into long and short, there are 18 vowel phonemes.
(2) From the perspective of phonetic structure, the syllables of the Deang people can be divided into two categories: one is general syllables or called main syllables; the other is additional syllables or called secondary syllables.
The general syllable structure has 49 initial consonants, and there are two situations: all 31 consonant phonemes can be used as initial consonants alone; the initial consonant of a complex consonant has a bilabial stop, a tongue root stop combined with I; a double consonant. There are four categories: labial stop and tongue stop combined with r; bilabial stop combined with j; tongue stop stopped combined with V. There are 159 finals, including 102 unitary phonology and 57 compound vowel phonology. The structure of secondary syllables is before the main syllable, one appears before the consonant in the same position as the initial consonant of the main syllable; the other appears after the consonant, usually with a weakened vowel (syllable).
The literature of the De'ang people is mainly folk literature, with various forms, including myths, legends, epics, fables, jokes, poems, etc. Most of them are passed down orally, and some are written in Dai or using The Dai alphabet spelling was recorded in the native language, which formed "ancient songs", such as "Dagu Daleng Laibiao" (the legend of the ancient ancestors), "Treasure Gourd", "The Story of the Flood", etc. The De'ang people mainly focus on agricultural production and are also good at growing tea. They are known as the "ancient tea farmers". Tea is an important source of income for the Deang people.
In the Zhenkang area, several small families live in the same house. There is a spacious walkway in the middle of the house, and small family houses are on both sides. They live in partitions and each has a firepit. Therefore, the bamboo buildings are larger, and some cover an area of ??nearly 400 square meters. . Nowadays, some De'ang houses are the same as the bungalows of nearby Han people, and the large bamboo houses where multiple families live together have been replaced by small bamboo houses for each family. The De'ang people practice monogamy, do not marry with the same surname, and rarely marry with foreigners. Men and women enjoy freedom of love before marriage, and girls have a certain degree of autonomy in choosing a partner, but in the end they must obtain the consent of their parents. When getting married, the groom's family must give the bride a certain amount of betrothal gift. If the husband and wife are not getting along and the man files for divorce, he only needs to pay a few kilograms of rice and a few yuan to ask the village leader to offer sacrifices to the gods, and then he can notify the woman to return to her parents' home. The woman files for divorce and must compensate the man for the bride price. After the founding of New China, this situation has changed. The De'ang people practice burial, and there is a public cemetery in the village. However, those who are chronically ill or pregnant women who die in childbirth are cremated.
Most of the Deang people believe in Theravada Buddhism, and their religious beliefs and living customs are greatly influenced by the Dai people. Most villages have their own Buddhist temples, worshiped Buddhas, and little monks. All the young monks' fasting meals are donated by the whole village in turn. Some De'ang people have always had the habit of refusing to eat when they see someone being killed or not eating when they hear someone's voice. Every festival, it is customary to entertain each other. No matter how many dishes are served at the banquet, there must be a bowl of boiled vegetables with fresh vegetables, which can be dipped in chili pepper water to have a unique flavor.
The De'ang people's marriage is monogamous, people of the same surname do not marry, and they rarely intermarry with foreigners. Young men and women are free to fall in love, and women have a certain degree of autonomy in choosing a partner. There is no strict hierarchical marriage within this nation. Rich and poor families can marry as long as the other party is willing. When the young men reach the age of fourteen or fifteen, they start to date girls. At night, they go to the young women's homes and play the reed pipe to attract the girls to fall in love with them. After the two parties establish a relationship, they give each other daily necessities such as bracelets, waist hoops, necklaces, bamboo baskets, brocade bags, etc., and then invite the elders in the village to go to the girl's house for matchmaking. As long as the girl agrees, parents generally have no objection. They think that the girl is in love, and it is not good to disagree. As for whether the son-in-law is as he wants, that is the daughter's destiny, and the parents can't do anything about it. If the girl's parents object, the girl can live with the boy's family on her own.
During the engagement ceremony of the young men and women of the De'ang ethnic group, the chicken head must be chopped off. If the chicken head and the chicken body are divided into two halves, neither party can regret it; if the woman does not agree with the marriage, the chicken is not allowed to be killed. The wedding usually lasts for three days. Within three days, all the men, women, and children in the village go to the bride and groom's homes to congratulate them. The parents of the bride and groom entertain them with a banquet, accompanied by antiphonal songs, and they stay up all night singing and laughing.
The Deang people like to eat hot and sour food, drink strong tea, and are also good at growing tea. Almost every household grows tea trees and is known as the "ancient tea farmer". He is good at weaving bamboo utensils and straw rafts (processing wild thatch into roofing materials). Making silverware is a traditional craft of the De'ang people and is very prestigious among neighboring ethnic groups.
The De'ang people are a cross-border ethnic group and are also distributed in China's neighboring country, Myanmar.
The fragrance of tea in De'ang cottage Tea is the lifeblood of the De'ang people. Wherever there are De'ang people, there are tea mountains. The magical "Ancient Song" is passed down from generation to generation, and the fragrance of tea leaves lingers on the De'ang people. This is an ancient song that has been sung by the Deang people for a long time.
Tea is the most important drink of the Deang people. Especially adult men and middle-aged and elderly women can hardly live without tea, and they like to drink strong tea. When they drink tea, they often put a large amount of tea leaves into a small tea can and add a little water to boil them. When the tea turns dark brown, they pour the tea into a small tea cup and drink it. Because this kind of tea is very strong, most people will be very excited after drinking it and will have trouble sleeping all night. However, the De'ang people often drink it and become addicted to it. As long as they don't drink it for a day, their hands and feet will become weak and their limbs will become weak. On the contrary, if you brew a can of strong tea and drink a few sips when you are tired, you will immediately feel refreshed and energetic.
Tea is not only an important drink in Deang people’s daily life, but also plays a very important role in their social life. They are inseparable from tea almost all the time and everything.
De'ang people pay attention to "tea is served as expected". When guests come to their door, they must simmer tea first; when visiting relatives and friends or asking a matchmaker to propose a proposal, tea must be used as a meeting gift; if there is a happy event and relatives and friends need to be invited, a small bag with a red cross Threaded tea leaves become "invitations"; if there is a conflict between two people, the at fault party only needs to send a bag of tea to seek forgiveness from the other party. It can be seen that the role of tea cannot be replaced by other money and things.
Due to the special status and role of tea, the consumption of tea is very large. Therefore, every household in De'ang is accustomed to planting some tea trees in front of and behind the house and at the edge of the village. De'ang people like to drink strong tea and are good at growing tea, so they are called "ancient tea farmers" by the surrounding ethnic groups.
The De'ang people like to drink strong tea and are famous for their ability to grow tea trees, so they are called "ancient tea farmers". Tea has a wide range of uses in the social life of this nation, and they also have special feelings for tea. Adult men and middle-aged and elderly women of the De'ang people like to drink strong tea. Legend has it that this has been the case since ancient times. Speaking of the strong tea that the De'ang people drink, it is well-deserved. They put a lot of tea leaves into a jar that can hold 100 ml of water and add water to boil. When the tea turns dark brown, pour the tea into what people often call " Drink from the "ox-eye clear cup" (not much bigger than a buffalo eye). Outsiders often have to add several times of boiling water to drink this kind of tea. Because the De'ang people often drink strong tea, they have become addicted to tea over time. When tea addiction occurs, it will make people weak, especially when walking long distances, making it difficult to move. However, as long as you brew a can of tea and drink a few cups, you will be full of energy. Get up.
It is often said that the De'ang people cannot do anything without tea. They often give tea as gifts, which means "tea is appreciated". If you go to visit relatives and friends who have not seen you for a long time, the greeting gift is a bag of tea leaves. When a guest comes, the host always boils water and simmers tea to entertain. When a young man proposes a proposal and asks a matchmaker to arrange a marriage, the first thing he brings to the bride's house is a bag of tea leaves. , three pounds of tea leaves. If there is a happy event and you invite relatives and friends to come, send a small bag of tea with a red cross as a token of appreciation. If there is a dispute between people and one party is at fault and asks for forgiveness from the other party, he will first send a bag of tea leaves to the other party. When the party at fault takes the initiative to send tea leaves, the other party must forgive it no matter how reasonable it is. This is De'ang According to the etiquette and customs of the De'ang people, if you give money and gifts instead of tea, it will be considered that you do not understand the "rituals" of the De'ang people, and you will not be forgiven, and you may even make things worse. If the dispute between each other cannot be resolved by oneself and the leader needs to be asked to mediate, a small strip of tea leaves and a small piece of elephant grass tobacco should be wrapped in a "X" shape and handed over to the leader, and then each person will explain their reasons.
Because tea has special significance and wide uses in the social life of the De'ang people, every household is accustomed to cultivating some tea trees around their homes or on the hillsides near their villages for them to pick, knead, and dry for later use. In addition to dry tea, the De'ang people also make a kind of wet tea (sour tea), which is called "gu (gu) tea" in history books. They put the fresh tea leaves picked from vegetables into large bamboo tubes, press and seal them, and saccharify them. edible. There is no need to boil the wet tea when consuming it. You can take it out of the tube and chew it in your mouth. The tea tastes slightly sour and bitter, with a hint of sweetness. This kind of tea can relieve summer heat and clear away heat. In areas with hot climate, people like to chew sour tea.
The original name of the De'ang tribe is "Benglong tribe". In 1985, it was officially renamed Deang. It is one of the oldest ethnic groups among the current residents of China's southwest frontier. Mainly live in Yunnan Province. Mainly engaged in agriculture, planting rice, corn, buckwheat, potatoes, etc., and is good at growing tea.
Most of the De'ang people eat rice as their staple food, and in some areas, they also eat cereals and potatoes. They are all eaten by steaming and stewing, and are good at making various grain products, such as pea flour, tofu, rice noodles, rice cakes, dada, glutinous rice balls, etc.
The De'ang people's diet is relatively sophisticated and uses a wide range of ingredients. He is good at boiling, stewing, mixing, pounding and other techniques, and the taste is sour and spicy with sweetness. There are many kinds of vegetables. Bamboo shoots are one of the vegetables that are available all year round. In addition to being eaten fresh, they are often processed into sour bamboo shoots or dried bamboo shoots for consumption.
It is customary to eat other vegetables with sour bamboo shoots when stewing. Sour bamboo shoots are very versatile. Even when stewing chicken, frying meat or cooking fish, they must be added with sour bamboo shoots. Influenced by the local Han people, many Han-style pickles and fermented bean curd are also common side dishes on the tables of the De'ang people.
The main specialties include: cold papaya, cold hand fish, mashed vegetables in bamboo tubes, crispy winter melon, lelang, etc.
Drinking strong tea is a hobby of Deang adult men and elderly women. Legend has it that this custom has existed since ancient times. Therefore, every Deang family is accustomed to cultivating some tea trees around their homes or villages. The picked tea leaves are processed according to the Shi method, mainly for their own consumption, and when there is any surplus, they take it to the market for trade with other ethnic groups.
Tea is not only a common drink among the Deang people, but also the best gift for relatives and friends. In daily life, the Deang people cannot live without tea, including weddings and funerals. When visiting relatives and friends, tea is always given as a gift, and "tea is a welcome gift".
If you are attending a wedding, you will be given a bag of tea with red cross lines; if you are attending a funeral, you will be given a bag of tea tied with bamboo shoots or bamboo hemp. When visiting a De'ang family, the hospitable host will welcome the guest to the bamboo house and hand them cups of strong, roasted tea.
De'ang people are addicted to tea. They say that if they don't drink tea for a day, they will have no energy. Only by drinking a cup of strong hot tea can you lift your spirits. You can also drink "sour tea", also known as wet tea, which was called grain tea or Gu tea in ancient times. It tastes sour and astringent, and can produce body fluids and quench thirst. It also has the functions of relieving summer heat, clearing away heat and digesting food. This kind of tea is made by sealing fresh tea leaves in bamboo tubes and fermenting them.
Sour tea leaves can also be chewed directly. They taste slightly sour, slightly bitter and have a sweet aftertaste. The De'ang people believe that this tea can relieve heat and dissipate toxins. Both dry and sour teas are available in local markets, usually sold by older De'ang women, and are known as "Mian Ning", which means "tea mother" in the De'ang language.
Pickled tea is usually made during the rainy season. After the fresh leaves are picked, they are immediately put into a mortar vat and pressed until it is full, and then pressed tightly with a heavy lid. After a few months, take out the tea and mix it with other spices before eating.
There are also people who use pottery jars to pickle tea. The fresh and tender tea leaves are washed, mixed with chili and salt, then placed in the pottery jar and tightly closed. After a few months of storage, it becomes " Pickled tea", take it out and eat it as a dish. Also used as snacks.
Interesting canopy-style housing
Like many ethnic groups in the south, the De'ang people like to live in ganlan-style bamboo buildings. This kind of bamboo building mostly uses wood as the frame. Other parts, such as rafters, floor slabs, terraces, walls, doors, stairs, etc., are all made of bamboo, and the roof is covered with thatch.
Most of the De'ang bamboo houses are built along the mountains, facing west to east. There are two main shapes: square and rectangular. The more typical and common one is the square bamboo building with one household and one courtyard, represented by the Dehong area. This kind of bamboo building is divided into two parts: the main building and the attached room. The main building is square in shape, with people living upstairs. It is generally divided into two parts: the bedroom and the living room, which are used for the whole family to live, receive guests, and store food and sundries. Livestock are kept downstairs. The attached rooms are mostly built on one side of the main building and are used for stacking firewood and placing foot hammers for pounding rice. This kind of bamboo building has a unique appearance and is beautiful. It is said that it looks like the scarf and hat worn by Confucian scholars in the ancient Central Plains. Regarding its origin, there is also a touching story circulated among the De'ang people: Zhuge Liang led his troops to conquer the south and came to the De'ang mountain village. One day, he was suddenly attacked and was injured and in danger. Fortunately, the brave and kind-hearted De'ang girl Arnold rescued him, and he was able to turn the danger into safety. In the brief contact, the two developed feelings. When Zhuge Liang, who had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, had to say goodbye to his sweetheart, he left his hat to Arnold as a token. The infatuated Arnold waited for 18 years, but what he was waiting for was the news of his sweetheart's death. From then on, the heartbroken Arnold refused to eat or sleep. He stood at the edge of the village blankly every day, watching his sweetheart's way south. On the 33rd day, there was sudden thunder and lightning and heavy rain. After the rain cleared up, Arnold disappeared. But where she stood, a house exactly like Zhuge Liang's hat appeared. This was the bamboo house where the De'ang people later lived.
The De'ang people are inseparable from tea. They use tea as a gift at weddings, funerals, and when visiting relatives and friends. "Tea makes you happy". It is forbidden for outsiders to touch the Buddhist niches and ancestral tablets, and it is also forbidden to hang things here. Guests cannot sit on the parent's bedding in the living room. It is forbidden to cut down the sacred tree, and it is also forbidden to urinate and defecate around it. In addition, the Deang people do not allow people to enter and touch things in the cemetery. The Deang people believe in Theravada Buddhism. There are Buddhist temples and pagodas everywhere in every village. The shape of the pagoda is slightly different from that of the Dai pagoda.
There is also a tradition of sending young boys to Buddhist temples to serve as monks for a period of time.
The De'ang people also have sacrificial customs such as offering sacrifices to family halls, village gods, earth gods, dragons, and grain goddesses, among which dragon sacrifice is the most interesting. It is usually chosen in spring, when pigs and chickens are killed, the priest draws a paper dragon, and everyone bows down. Then they have a drinking picnic together, and they beat and scold each other drunkenly to vent their usual dissatisfaction with each other. No one is allowed to dissuade them here until both parties are exhausted from fighting, and then apologize to each other the next day.
Strand hoops are wrapped around the waist of the skirt
The clothing of the De'ang people has a strong national color. Although the clothing of each branch is different, it still retains its originality. They have the same characteristics, and their costumes are closely connected with the wonderful and touching stories spread among the people, which gives people a magical and profound impression. History books of the Tang Dynasty have long recorded that the Mangren tribe, the ancestors of the De'ang people, were decorated with "rattan strip waist hoops". This costume has been passed down for more than a thousand years through the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties and has been passed down to the present. When De'ang girls come of age, they wear five, six, ten, or even twenty or thirty rattan "waist hoops" on the waist of their skirts. These "waist hoops" are wide and narrow. They vary in thickness and are mostly painted in red, black, yellow, green and other colors. Some are engraved with various patterns and patterns, and some are covered with silver or aluminum skin, shining under the light.
The clothing of the Deang people has a strong ethnic flavor. Men mostly wear blue or black big-breasted tops, wide and short trousers, and black or white cloth turbans, with colorful pom-poms on both ends. Women mostly wear navy blue or black double-breasted short tops and long skirts, with black cloth covering their heads. The tops are edged with two strips of red cloth, and four or five pairs of large square silver medals are used as buttons. The long skirts are woven with colorful horizontal stripes. Young people, both men and women, like to wear silver necklaces, earphones, earrings and other jewelry. Due to the differences in the costumes of each branch, there were common names such as "Red De'ang", "Flower De'ang" and "Hei De'ang" in the past.
Among the costumes of the Deang people, the most eye-catching thing is the waistband worn by women. According to the De'ang people's custom, when a girl reaches adulthood, she must wear several or even dozens of waistbands on the waist of her skirt. Most waist hoops are made of rattan strips, and some have rattan strips in the front half and spiral silver wire in the back half. The rattan circles vary in width and thickness, and are often painted in red, black, green and other colors. Some are engraved with various patterns or covered with silver or aluminum skin. This unique custom is a continuation of the custom of the Mangren tribe, the ancestors of the De'ang people in the Tang Dynasty, who wore "rattan strips wrapped around their waists" as decoration. Its origin is said to be that the ancestors of the De'ang people came out of the gourd. When they first came out, the men all looked exactly the same, and the women flew everywhere. Later, the gods used their wisdom to distinguish the men's looks. In order to tie up the women, the men made loops of rattan strips to trap them. The women could no longer fly and had to live with the men. The current waist hoop was developed from the bamboo hoop at that time. It can be seen from this myth that the origin of the waistband had a certain utilitarian purpose, but with the development of history, this symbolic meaning was lost, and the waistband became an ornament and a symbol of beauty. The De'ang people believe that the more "waist hoops" a girl wears and the more exquisite they are, the more intelligent, capable and ingenious she is. Therefore, adult women all wear waistbands and are proud of them. When young men and women are in love, in order to win the love of the girl, the young man often goes to great lengths to carefully make rattan strip waist hoops engraved with animal and plant patterns and give them to his beloved girl. So the waistband became a token of their love.