Presenting the Jino

The Jino are one of the minorities less numerous of recognized in China and the last one to be recognized officially as such, since only they were recognized in 1979. His name means in his language "Progeny of the uncle" what gives an idea of having constituted a matriarchal society up to not very distant epoch, in whom the authority of the maternal uncle was the most important in the family.

The Jino are provided with a population of 20.900 persons according to the census of the year 2000.

Most of the Jino concentrate on the call the Mountain Jino. An area of an approximate extension of 70x50 km, in the Jinghong county in Xishuangbanna (Province of Yunnan). An area of rainy and subtropical climate, where they inhabit elephants, wild and pretty oxen.

It is considered that the Jino have three branches, into which they split already many centuries ago, before initiating the migrations that took them to his current hearth. Each of these branches plans his origin to an ancestress, whom they venerate owing to all the important festivities.

Branch Wuyou. That lives at present in the Lewang county.

Branch Axi.

Branch Aha.

These last two branches as well as some Wuyou, they live in the mountain Jinuoshan.

His language belongs to the family tibeto birmana, branch Yi. It has two dialects: Youle (Shanmantou) and Buyuan, with big differences mutually unintelligible for his speakers.

They do not have proper writing, but earlier they were registering the events carving marks in wood or bamboo.

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