Hezhe ethnic group: People that wear fish skin

This winter, northeast China's ice city Harbin has become the "hottest city" for tourists on social media.

The magnificent ice sculptures, fantastic ice-and-snow experience, reasonable prices, and the hospitable local residents...have all attracted tourists, especially people from the southern part of China, among whom many got to see snow for the first time in their life. 

Meanwhile, Harbin racks its brains to keep up the heat.

The ethnic groups living in Heilongjiang Province, where Harbin is the capital city, joined the carnival wearing their traditional clothes and bringing their unique cultures, leaving many in awe.

The Hezhes, one of the smallest ethnic minority groups in China, paraded on the famous Zhongyang Street in Harbin on January 6, following other ethnic groups including the Oroqen and the Ewenki.

People that follow fish

The 2021 census registered the Hezhes' population at 5,373. 

To understand the Hezhe people, one has to know the importance of fish in their life and culture. Fish is their main food source, so all the Hezhe people settle by the river plains of Heilongjiang's three major rivers. 

In history, they would fish in spring, autumn and winter, and hunt in the mountain forests occasionally. A Hezhe family has different boats for different purposes, for example, for casting fishing nets, for spearfishing, etc. When they were not fishing or hunting, they spent time repairing broken fishing nets and boats.

Their main catch include salmons, sturgeons and carps, among others.

The Hezhes know how the make the best use of their catch. They eat some fish raw and dry or freeze and store the rest. 

The fish skin is turned to beautiful clothes that have become the symbol of their ethnicity. A coat may require dozens of pieces of fish skin and a month's time to make, and the handicraft has been included in China's intangible cultural heritage.

In modern times, the traditional fishing-and-hunting lifestyle has been replaced by a combination of farming, livestock rearing and fishing. Fish remains a major part of their life.

Yimakan story-telling

The Hezhes have no written language, but their oral legacies in the form of the Hezhe Yimakan story-telling has been inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.

The oral art includes both singing and speaking and has been passed down from generation to generation by the Hezhe people. 

According to official data, there are six centers dedicated to the study and practice of Yimakan story-telling in Heilongjiang, with participants ranging from elderly to primary school students.

Shamanism

The Hezhe people believe in Shamanism. They believe that the world is created by the gods and a shaman is the bridge that connects humans with gods. 

When a person is ill, they look to the shaman to ask the gods for the cure. On important occasions, for example, when the fishing season opens, the shamans gather to perform their symbolic blessing ceremony, which features traditional songs, rituals, costumes and dancing.

(Cover: A shaman performing a blessing ritual, Jiamuzi City, Heilongjiang Province, northeast China, April 18, 2023. /CFP)