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The Sui people (Chinese: 水族; pinyin: Shuǐzú) are an ethnic group living in the Guangxi, Guizhou,...

The Sui people (Chinese: 水族; pinyin: Shuǐzú) are an ethnic group living in the Guangxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan areas of southwestern China. They are counted as one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. It is believed that the Shui are descended from the Luo-Yue that inhabited the southeast coast of China before the Han dynasty. Their name of Shui, which means "water", was adopted during the Ming dynasty. The Shui are organized around family clans. Their houses usually have one story, although some have two stories. In thelatter, the second floor is used for the living quarters whereas the first floor is used primarily as a stable and food storage. If a woman is widowed, she covers her hair with a fabric of white color for three years. The Shui possess a lunar calendar that is initiated in the ninth lunar month. Their funeral services are elaborate and long ceremonies where animal sacrifices are carried out in honor of the dead. The Shui are mainly polytheists and practice ancestor worship as well. Shamans were traditionally hired to carry out prayers and sacrifices in the houses of those that were sick or close to death. The Shui speak the