Va clothing is generally black. Men wear black, collarless jackets and short, loose trousers, often with a black or red turban on their head.

Young men may also be seen wearing earrings with tassels. The women, too, wear collarless jackets, but along with skirts patterned in black, red, purple, blue and yellow. They keep their hair long and braided at the back. They wear a headdress that is a collection of silver bands combined with a headscarf.

The women also wear long, silver earrings. Their 10-centimeter-wide bracelets are a particularly important ornament for them. A woman's age can be determined from the small bands of rattan or bamboo worn around her wrists or ankles -- for each year of her life, a new one is added.

Religion

The Va are worshipers of nature. The highest god in the Va pantheon is Mujij, who had five sons who were the deities in charge of the creation of heaven, earth, lightning, earthquakes and bringing up the Va people.

There are also deities of water, trees and so on. Even stomach aches and itchy skin are believed to be caused by gods.

Many Va families make their own sacrificial offerings.

The Va ethnic group holds not only these ancient beliefs, but also follows Buddhism and Christianity.

Performing arts

Singing and dancing are very important in the lives of the Va people. They dance and sing during religious ceremonies, daily work, funerals and weddings.

The wooden drum

The wooden drum, called the Keloke is the most important instrument in traditional sacrificial ceremonies, as well as the traditional instrument and an early-warning device.

With a hollowed tree trunk as the main body, the drum is usually 2-meters-high and measures 50 centimeters to 1 meter in diameter.

The drums are divided by gender. The male drum produces a low and heavy timbre, while the female drum gives off higher and clearer tones.

These pairs of drums are usually kept at the drum house, built with six pillars and three girders. The drum house is always the landmark of a village; some villages even have more than one drum house. Va people believe that the drums are the vehicles with which they can communicate with the gods and the heavens.

(China Daily April 28, 2004)