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De’ang are strong tea lovers
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THE De’ang ethnic group is tiny compared to the country’s total population. There are only about 20,556 De’ang and most of them live in Yunnan Province’s Luxi City and Zhenkang County although some live in Ruili City, Yingjiang, Longchuan, Lianghe, Baoshan and Gengma counties.
The group was once known as “Pu” and later “Mang” as they are closely related with the Bulang and Wa ethnic groups. During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) they were called “Benglong,” but the name De’ang, which is how they refer to themselves, was approved by the Chinese government in 1985.
The ancestors of De’ang people founded the influential Jinchi Kingdom in southwest Yunnan in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The whole group moved southward to flee the wars that raged during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties. Traces of ancient De’ang villages, roads and temples still exist today.
They have their own language, which belongs to the Va-De’ang branch of the South Asian language family. The language has three distinct dialects: Bulei, Rumai and Liang.
When it comes to food, sour, spicy and bitter flavors reign supreme as they boost the appetite in hot weather. Sour bamboo shoots are eaten regularly. Fish, chicken or beef cooked with sour bamboo shoots is one of their most famous dishes.
Tea is the most important drink and they have a long history of tea planting. De’ang are sometimes referred to as “ancient tea farmers.”
Most drink condensed tea every day. A big bunch of tea leaves are usually boiled with a little bit of water. The liquid is collected when it turns dark brown and poured into a small cup for drinking.
This gives the liquid a concentrated, strong flavor. It also contains a higher concentration of caffeine.
Tea also serves as an important social communication tool. It is essential when treating guests, a necessary gift when visiting friends or attending ceremonies, can be used as an invitation letter, and also be used to offer an olive branch when trying to resolve disputes.
When the party at fault sends a package of tea to the victim, he or she will be forgiven no matter how wrongly he or she had behaved. On the contrary, if money is given instead of tea, the party at fault will be considered rude and won’t be forgiven. The De’ang believes that wherever there is tea, there is courtesy.
The De’ang people also make “sour wet tea.” Fresh leaves are collected, compacted and sealed in a big bamboo tube together with a little areca. In one to two months, the wet tea will be done. The De’ang people chew the wet tea leaves directly. The tea is a bit sour, bitter and sweet. It relieve thirstiness and improves digestion in hot weather.
Traditional De’ang clothing is basically dark in color.
Men usually wear blue or black garments with a big front together with loose, short trousers. They also wear a black or white turban with colored velvet balls. Women prefer black or dark blue garments with paralleled front and hand-woven long skirts, as well as personal ornaments like silver necklaces, earrings and red velvet balls.
One particular feature of De’ang lies in their waistbands. Some wear dozens. The waistbands are woven with rattans in a variety of colors. Some are carved with flower patterns and wrapped with silver threads.
The waistbands were created by De’ang men to “tie down” the women who, according to legend, fly around the village after being born from a bottle gourd. They were originally made of thin bamboo strips, but have eventually become more colorful as De’ang women now consider the waistbands more of a decorative accessory. De’ang boys still traditionally make delicate waistbands and give them to the girl they love as a gift.
Most De’ang people believe in Hinayana Buddhism. There is a temple in every village. In earlier times, a Buddhist monk named every newborn and boys could become a monk at the age of 10. The “big sacrifice” is known as the grandest religious fete, which is to pray for cleanness, safety and driving away evil.
However, De’ang people are becoming more secular as science and technology become popular.
Traditional De’ang festivals are similar to those of the Dai, among which the Water Splashing Festival is the most popular. It usually occurs in mid April and lasts three to five days. During the festival people clean Buddhist sculptures with “water dragons” and splash water onto each other to celebrate the New Year. Other important holidays include the Closing Door Festival, Opening Door Festival and White Firewood Burning Festival.
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