Who Are the A’ou?

China can be classed as one of the richest countries in the world due to the amazing wealth of ethnicities it holds. There are 56 officially recognised ethnic groups in China including the Gelao. Within this ethnicity is the A’ou sub-group.
Although the A’ou are considered to be part of the Gelao group, they do not share the same cultural identity. In addition to this, the A’ou speak a language which does not correspond to any of the many languages and varieties of languages that the Gelao speak.

The history of the A’ou can be found in Guizhou Province. According to Jacob Lee, there were numerous tribes living in the southwest of China who were each ruled by their own ruler and lived according to their own customs. The largest tribe were the Gelao, who were known then as the Liao, and called their kingdom Yelang. During the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), armies and ambassadors were sent to Yelang Kingdom and the king peacefully submitted. Because of this, most of the tribal leaders lost their power save the Yelang king.

Guizhou is one of the poorest provinces in China and the A’ou scratch a meagre living from cultivating rice. Because of this many young A’ou have now moved to larger cities to search for work. There are 2,500 A’ou who live in three counties across Guizhou Province, these include Longjiazhai District of Zhijin County; in the Shawo, Lannigou, and Xinkaitian districts of Qianxi County; and in and around the town of Pudi in Dafang County.

The A’ou are polytheists although around 15% claim no religious affiliation. Most A’ou, especially the older generation, worships a number of gods and spirits and makes regular sacrifices to them. Honouring ones ancestors is equally important to the A’ou.

The A’ou are just one of the hundreds of minority groups which makes up the larger ethnicities in China. Because of this, their history, culture and identity are mostly unknown to foreigners and even the Chinese themselves.