Lisu

The Lisu are an ethnic group native to the highlands of southwestern China, northern Myanmar, and parts of Thailand and Laos. They form one of the 56 officially recognized ethnic groups in China and are also found in Myanmar’s Kachin and Shan states and in northern Thailand. Lisu communities maintain distinct language, customs, and dress, though cross-border migration and modernization have spread them across the region.

The Lisu language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family, within the Lolo-Burmese subgroup. It comprises several dialects, and literacy is supported by the Fraser script, a syllabary developed by missionary James O. Fraser in the early 20th century. Some Lisu communities also use Latin-based orthographies.

Traditional Lisu society has lived in upland villages and practiced agriculture, including rice farming and horticulture, with families often organizing around extended kin networks. Social life centers on village rites, seasonal festivals, and communal labor. Christianity is now the predominant religion among many Lisu in Myanmar and China, due largely to missionary activity in the 19th and 20th centuries; other Lisu retain Buddhist beliefs or older indigenous practices.

Historically, the Lisu inhabited frontier regions and maintained cross-border exchanges with neighboring peoples. In the modern era, Lisu identity is closely tied to language, ritual life, and festival cycles. Today many Lisu participate in education, agriculture, commerce, and regional markets across China, Myanmar, and Southeast Asia.