Craftsmen: The Li

The Li (pronounced “Lee”) people are predominately located on the island of Hainan off the coast of southern China. The Li people are the largest ethnic minority people on Hainan Island numbering approximately 1.3 million. It is purported that the Li have been on Hainan for over 3,000 years.

Lying at the foot of the Wuzhi Mountains, the Li area is a tropical paradise with fertile land and abundant rainfall. Coconut palms and rubber trees line the beaches and people in some places reap three crops of rice a year and grow maize and sweet potatoes all year round. The primary industry for the Li is agriculture, but also includes handicrafts, fishing and pearls.

The Li women comb their hair into a bun with metal or bone hairpins. During festivals, they wear bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and foot rings. The practice of tattooing girls which prevailed in ancient times is now mostly discontinued.

White Harvest Trading Company is helping the Li people through importing saltwater pearl jewelry.