The Holy Land of Hani People: NoMaAMei

According to old songs spreading in AiLao Shan area, ancestors of Hani people are supposed to have been living in a place called "NoMaAMei" ,which is boasted of fertile land, tasty plants on an open terrain. There is an old song called "HaBa" sung by Hani people in Mojiang:

"A great land called 'NoMaAMei' is lying at the boundary of the heaven and the earth, as well as the living places of gods and men. There, two mighty rivers are surging forward nonstop, while two great mountains are spreading down irresistibly. Our dearest ancestors came along from the valley of the heaven, and also the ditch of the earth, to this holy place called 'NoMaAMei', where plenty of delicious food and peaceful living style are bestowed to us Hani people``` "

It is said that "NoMaAMei" is the home of both the gods and men, except for its amazing scenery and richness; Hani people of the AiLao area worship it as their ancestors' birthplace. Even in nowadays, on each Hani person's funeral, the priest, called "Mopi", would sing Hani old songs for three days and nights as a ceremony directing the dead's soul to the way back to their holy land "NoMaAMei".

Researchers today believe that Hani people's "NoMaAMei" is related to the area lying between the south side of DaDu River and the east side of YaLong River, which is supposed to be nowadays Xichang area of Sichuan. "NoMaAMei" in Hani language means actually "a plain surrounded by black waters"; coincidently, DaDu River is also named as "Huayang black water" or "the black river of the southeast" in Han literature, which made the hypothesis not groundless.

No matter where on earth is "NoMaAMei" actually related to, Hani ancestors finally left their birthplace. Nevertheless, there's historical evidence to prove that Hani people had lived in AiLao area for more than a thousand years as a new agricultural people rise there.
 
Chasing and seeking is always the way that leading us human beings' development from generation to generation, Hani people is of no exception: they have been seeking for their "NoMaAMei", that rich and beautiful land that can supply them with great living and thriving environments and conditions.