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<p>The Hani, who have historically lived in the central area of the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces World Cultural Heritage site in China, rely on terraced rice farming as their Main Livelihood. Through participatory observation of 38 ceremonies and interviews with 63 Hani people across 10 villages, we documented 13 varieties of glutinous rice still grown in the core terraced fields of Yuanyang County. The Hani select glutinous rice with pure white grains for four key life cycle rituals: birth, coming-of-age, wedding, and funeral. Our research indicates that glutinous rice plays a crucial role in preserving cultural unity by fostering connections with ancestors and reinforcing family bonds. In rituals, glutinous rice symbolizes blessings and hopes for newborns, adults, and newlyweds, while also showing reverence and worship for the deceased and ancestors. We suggest that the Hani glutinous rice culture originates from a long history of exchanging rice seeds. They adopted this culture of glutinous rice after migrating into an area rich in this tradition, influenced by other ethnic groups. Through the medium of “glutinous rice,” the Hani of Yuanyang continually reinforce the spiritual idea that “we are one family with a shared origin and common ancestors” during life rituals.</p>

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Glutinous Rice and Cultural Unity: Exploring its Role in the Hani People’s Life Cycle Rituals from a Migration Perspective

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月1日

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  • Xueyu Ma,
  • Yugeng Yang,
  • Yanfen Li,
  • Dan Luo,
  • Ganpeng Li,
  • Yao Fu

摘要

The Hani, who have historically lived in the central area of the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces World Cultural Heritage site in China, rely on terraced rice farming as their Main Livelihood. Through participatory observation of 38 ceremonies and interviews with 63 Hani people across 10 villages, we documented 13 varieties of glutinous rice still grown in the core terraced fields of Yuanyang County. The Hani select glutinous rice with pure white grains for four key life cycle rituals: birth, coming-of-age, wedding, and funeral. Our research indicates that glutinous rice plays a crucial role in preserving cultural unity by fostering connections with ancestors and reinforcing family bonds. In rituals, glutinous rice symbolizes blessings and hopes for newborns, adults, and newlyweds, while also showing reverence and worship for the deceased and ancestors. We suggest that the Hani glutinous rice culture originates from a long history of exchanging rice seeds. They adopted this culture of glutinous rice after migrating into an area rich in this tradition, influenced by other ethnic groups. Through the medium of “glutinous rice,” the Hani of Yuanyang continually reinforce the spiritual idea that “we are one family with a shared origin and common ancestors” during life rituals.