The Fireplace: Gender and Culture among Yunnan Nationalities

Abstract

The fireplace, the physical center of the household, also occupies a central role in the daily lives and belief systems of nationalities living in Yunnan province in south-western China. This article—based on many years of experience living among and researching the ethnography of Naxi, Mosuo, Jino, Dai, Hani, Yi, Lisu, Pumi, Deang, Yao, Miao, and other nationalities—describes the cultural practices, beliefs, and women’s social and familial position associated with the fireplace. These include the fireplace and gender hierarchies, the founding of households, clan lineage, food and sustenance, and rituals of life respectively, and gender divisions at the dual fireplace.