Li Nationality

The Li ethnic minority lives mainly in the Li and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, in the centre and south of Hainan Province, with a small number of them mixed with the Han people. They had been a branch of the ancient Baiyue groups who had a close relationship with such present ethnic minorities as Buyi, Dong, Dai, Shui and Zhuang. According to historical records, they have been on Hainan Island for over three thousand years. Li is derived from their pronunciation of 'mountains'. Today they have a large population of 1,247,814.
  Language:
Their language, with diverse dialects, belongs to the Zhuang-Dong group of the Sino-Tibetan phylum. Because of long association with the Han people, some of the Li can also speak Chinese. In 1957, they created the written form of their language based on Roman script.
  Religion:
They believe all things have spirits and in some places, there are still relics of totem adoration; they all respect seniors and ancestors, and during festivals, they will go to them to pray for peace and harvest. Owing to the spread of Christianity, some of Li have taken to this religion.
  The Li women comb their hair into a bun with metal or bone hairpins. During festivals, they wear bracelets, ear rings, necklaces, and foot rings. The practice of tattooing girls which prevailed in ancient times is now mostly discontinued.
When children grow into their teens, they are expected to move from their parents' house. Boys build their own houses, and girls will be under the authority of their parents. Usually these rooms are smaller than the ones they lived before. This is also the place where the youth find their lover.They, like other ethnic minorities, are good at singing and dancing.

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