Lhoba

The Lhoba (Chinese: 珞巴族; pinyin: Luòbā zú) are one of the smallest ethnic groups among the 56 officially recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China. They are divided into two groups: the boga'er and the yidu. They inhabit the southeastern part of Tibet.

Language

The Lhoba have their own language, belonging to the same language family as the Tibetan language. The Lhoba language does not have a written alphabet. Although a writing system was developed, based on the Latin alphabet, most of the older Lhoba cannot read or write. There are also few who know the Tibetan language.

History

As there are no written documents, very little is known about the ancient history of this town. The occupation of Tibet by China radically changed some of the customs of this people.

The main change was the integration into the Tibetan culture and the progressive disappearance of its strict class system. The Lhoba were divided into two castes: the aristocracy (maide) and the people (nieba). Both groups could not relate or mix. In general, the nieba were slaves and were executed if they tried to escape.

Culture

Customs and clothing vary among clans. The Lhoba men who inhabit the northern area wear sleeveless black jackets that reach to the waist. The buttons of the jackets are made with sheep's wool.

The women wear short-sleeved shirts and woolen skirts. The weight of the ornaments used by women is a symbol of their social status. The lhoba are adorned with shells, silver coins, iron belts, and silver earrings. Their dresses are similar to those used by the Tibetans.

Lhoba like to drink and smoke. For this reason, they take advantage of any celebration to taste a glass of wine. Their diet is low in salt, so goiter has become endemic, aggravated by poor sanitary conditions.

Hunting is a tradition among members of this ethnic group. For this reason, young people quickly learn to hunt. The status of women is still very low. They are still considered inferior to their fathers or husbands.

Religion

As a result of ongoing business dealings with Tibetans, many Lhoba have converted to Lamaism in recent years, as most business is conducted with Buddhist monasteries. Others continue to worship local gods and venerate the souls of ancestors.