Lhoba

族About this people

The Lhoba are China's smallest officially recognised ethnic minority by population, with fewer than 4,000 individuals living in China, primarily in the deep river valleys of Mêdog and Lhünzê counties in southeastern Tibet. The Lhoba name is a Tibetan designation meaning "southern people"; the communities themselves include the Adi, Mishmi, and other groups who call themselves by different names and speak languages of the Tibeto-Burman family. Related communities live across the border in Arunachal Pradesh, India.

The Lhoba homeland in the eastern Himalayan gorge country is remote and until recently was accessible only by difficult mountain trails. The forested gorges of the Yarlung Tsangpo tributaries support rich wildlife and a subsistence economy combining upland field cultivation (millet, maize, and highland barley), hunting of deer, bears, monkeys, and birds, and gathering of wild plants, roots, and honey. The Lhoba are skilled hunters who use bows and arrows, and their knowledge of the forest is extensive.

Lhoba society is organised around clans, and inter-clan relations are managed through elaborate gift exchange and negotiation protocols. Contact with Tibetan traders and pilgrims brought Tibetan Buddhist influence into some Lhoba communities, though animistic belief and practice remain primary. Lhoba weaving uses nettle and other plant fibres to produce cloth for clothing and carrying bags. The community has received increasing attention and cultural support in recent years, and a Lhoba cultural village has been established at Nanyi near Mêdog.