The Lhoba people harvest highland barley, photo taken by Uzinarisi in 1960. [Photo/ China Photographers Association]

Lhoba ethnic group

Living at the foot of Himalayas, almost completely isolated from the outside world and kept in virtual slavery by the government of Tibet, the Lhoba lagged behind the rest of the world until the 1950s when with the help of the Chinese government, all aspects of their life began to improve. Blessed with a wide variety of resources, ranging from animals and plants to minerals, the Luoba economy is based on agriculture and hunting.

The Luoba people are very hospitable and places high value on etiquette. They hunt with poisoned arrows, so meat must be treated after the animal is cut up. Before dinner, the host will drink and eat a little to show that the food is safe.