Social Life. Match River Nu Wood Culture

Culture is formed by diverse elements, among which geographical environment is the one that cannot be ignored. Under Chinese unique geographical environment, serious of cultural undertakings have been shaped by different ethnic groups during their different using pattern of wood.Nu is one of the ethnic groups in China with little population. It is one of the oldest groups in Nu River (Salween River in Burma)--Lancang River (Mekong River in) area which has brunches for instance"Nu Su"(Bijiang County),"A Nong"(FuGong County),"A Nu"(Gongshan County) and "Ruo Rou"(Lanping County). Nu people created rich culture in the river of history, for example the unique wood culture which reflects special Nu characteristics.Among Nu habitat, wood is omnipresent in local material and spiritual life. There are diverse categories of wood-made productions, for example production tools, everyday life tools, vehicles, entertainment instruments, and sacred tools. There are beautiful wood-orient songs and legendary tales. There are widespread witchcrafts and religious undertakings worshiping wood. Therefore wood has great influence to Nu people's thinking, behavior, and custom and a serious of cultural undertakings are formed with history.However, wood use decreased with the influence of state's policies and foreign culture, implements made of some other materials gradually stepped into Nu society. Wood is no longer as popular as it was before, local government and elites advertise and inherit wood as the representation of their traditional culture for the sake of economic development. Hence wood culture of Nu people has some inevitable adjustments. For now, wood is more of a cultural symbol to Nu society.