Bimo

Bimo is a term used among the Yi people of southwestern China to denote trained ritual specialists who preside over religious ceremonies and preserve the community’s sacred literature. Bimo are responsible for reciting, composing, and interpreting Yi liturgical texts, and they perform rites tied to life events, seasonal cycles, and divination. They also safeguard genealogies and mythic lore and may teach younger generations the language, scripts, and ceremonial procedures of the Yi faith. Manuscripts are traditionally written in the Yi script or other local scripts; some texts are memorized and chanted rather than written.

Training typically occurs through long apprenticeship with an established Bimo, involving years of memorization, ritual practice, and pastoral instruction. The role has historically been male-dominated, though practices can vary across Yi subgroups and contemporary contexts.

In Yi communities, Bimo perform ceremonies such as births, weddings, funerals, harvest rituals, and rites of passage. They use ritual objects, songs, and the distinctive Yi musical tradition, and their work supports social cohesion and cultural continuity.

In academic study, Bimo are regarded as a central institution for understanding Yi language, religion, and social structure. Contemporary developments include formal documentation of Bimo literature, integration of ritual knowledge into cultural preservation programs, and engagement with tourism. Outside ethnography, the term Bimo may appear as a personal name or place name in other languages, but its primary meaning relates to the Yi ritual specialists.