Lahu in China Celebrates new year 2011 part 6 of 7

lahu in China Celebrates New year 2011 The 453,705 members of China's Lahu ethnic group live primarily in Yunnan's Lancang Lahu Autonomous County and neighboring counties such as Menglian, Shuangjiang, and Simao. This region is also home to Hans, Dais, Yis, Hanis, Blangs, and Was. The Lahu trace their ancestry back to the ancient Qiang people, who immigrated to present day northern Yunnan from northwestern China early in the third century AD. Beginning in the 8th century, the emergence of the Nanzhao State forced the Lahu to move further southward. After the 10th century AD, they continued this southward migration on a larger scale. As they migrated, they divided into two groups: the 'Lahu Na' (White Lahu) who took the western route, settling down in the Lincang, Lancang, Mengbian and Menggai area, and the 'Lahu Pu' or 'Lahu Xi' (Yellow Lahu), who took the southern route, along Ailao Mountain, and made their home in the area near Jindong, Simao, Mojiang and Yuanjiang. By the end of the 18th century, they had already inhabited in the areas in southern Yunnan they live in today.