History of the Lisu

It is thought that the Lisu can have the same origin as the Yi. Although it is possible that only they have received in a remote past important linguistic and cultural influences; since during the dynasty Tang there are named Wuman both the Yi and to the Lisu. The Lisu would live in that epoch in the central area of the current Prefecture of Liangshan.

They have had to of being emigrate on the south, realize the first stop on the border of Sichuan and Yunnan, being established later in the District of Weixi, to the west of Lijiang. In Weixi the Lisu they realize a nomadic life, being supported of the hunting and of the compilation. This region is governed at the beginning of the dynasty Ming, when the Lisu are mentioned of unequivocal form like a differentiated ethnic group, by Tusi de Lijiang.

In the XVIth century the Lisu take part in some military campaigns of the Naxi against the Tibetan ones. Before the danger of suffering the revenge of the not completely defeated Tibetan some, a big part of the Lisu emigrates to the basin of the river Nujiang, where his progeny remains until now.

In the history of China the name of the Lisu is associated often with the news about rebellions, since every a few years lead some big lift against the imperial oppression and that of his representatives the Tusis. Like that we have news about the following big rebellions:

That of Taozhou, in 1573
That of Weixi in 1740
That of Baoshan in 1746
That of Weixi in 1801
That of Yongsheng in 1821
That of Weixi in 1856
That of Fugong in 1918.

The most bloody and of major duration it was that of Weixi in 1801. It was led by Heng Zhapeng, and throughout two years that it lasted, it went so far as to create an alternative power in the region. The ballads of nowadays still sing the exploits of this popular hero.

The implantation of the communism in his grounds must not also have been especially pacific, since until the first years of the fifties there comes the news of the "bandits of the borders".

With the communism it transforms completely the life of the Lisu. The traditional organization of his society concerning the clans of which the whole world is part, was replaced by the teams of production and the communes. His agriculture of groove and fire finished in the sixties, except in the most remote villages. His religion was attacked by all the fronts.

At the same time the communications were improved, what has allowed the Lisu to have major knowledge of the world placed beyond his abrupt mountains.

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