Overview of Yunnan's Ethnic Minorities

Author: Guo Jing, Duan Yuming, Yang Fuchuan (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-07-01
Features: Since the 1920s and 1930s, when Yang Chengzhi and others entered the southwestern minority regions for investigation and wrote works such as The Yunnan Ethnic Survey Report and Witch Doctors and Festivals of the Luoluo People, Yunnan has been one of China's most important bases for ethnology. In the 1940s, scholars from Southwest Associated University conducted studies on frontier ethnic groups, and in the 1950s and 1960s, nationwide ethnic social and historical surveys were carried out, with Yunnan consistently being a focus. This prominence not only reflects Yunnan's unique academic status but also demonstrates that the region, due to its ethnic diversity and cultural pluralism, has maintained a distinctive character in historical and cultural transformations that differs from the major surrounding cultures. This book strives to reflect the latest research findings in ethnology both domestically and internationally, emphasizing the use of primary sources to speak for themselves, avoiding vague theoretical elaborations and subjective speculation, and advocating for a straightforward and objective approach. The focus of the discussion is on culture, with an emphasis on contemporary life realities. Over 20 scholars participated in writing the book, all of whom are specialists in their respective fields, with many even being members of the ethnic groups they study. The authors attempt, through this collaboration, to combine the perspectives of observers and the observed, presenting readers with a vivid and colorful picture of life.