Shui Nationality

 Population and Distribution:

Women of Shui Nationality

 Language and Character:
They speak in their own language belonging to the Zhuang-Dong group of the Sino-Tibetan phylum. As no written form of the Shui language exists, they usually write using Chinese characters. Historically there was a written form of the Shui language whose characters were called 'Shui Shu', but it was used only for religious activities.

 Belief:
In the past, they believed that all natural things had spirits and that there were many gods who steered their lives. So when they met with disasters or unhappiness, they would turn to wizards and worship those powers.

 Food:
They live in the upper reaches of rivers in a climate bestowed with mild temperatures. They enjoy rice as their staple food and supplement this with pickled fish, vegetables and yellow wine. They also grow wheat and harvest all kinds of fish from the rivers in their region. The Shui ethnic minority is very hospitable to visitors. At dinner, wine is a must. Head part of pig and chicken are the symbols of dignity, so the former is for worshipping ancestors and the latter for guests.

 Crafts:
Their folk arts include paper-cuts, stone-carving, silver jewelry making, and batik techniques. The Shuijia Bu, meaning cloth of the Shui, is particularly delicate and durable. With a history of over 700 years, it has been the pride of the Shui ethnic minority.

 Custom:
They have many customs that reflect their ethics - such as respecting their elders. For example, to celebrate an older person's birthday, his descendants will make him a long gown out of white cloth and present it to him on that day. This act is to wish him longevity.

 Festivals:
They have their own calendar which basically follows the lunar calendar of the Han people. However, there is one big difference, that is, they treat the first day of the ninth month as New Year's Day and celebrate it with horse-racing and dancing with a copper drum or lusheng, a flute-like musical instrument. The extent of these celebrations makes the Shui New Year as important as the Chinese New Year. In addition to these festivals, the Shui people also celebrate the Qingming Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival.

 More Ethnic Groups in Guizhou Area:
Miao     Bouyei     Dong     Tujia     Yi     Gelao     Bai