The Lisu hilltribe orginate from Southern China and can now be found in Myanmar,India and Thailand. They make up 4.5% of the total hilltribe population in Thailand who were first seen in Chiang Rai province 80 years ago, they now live in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son areas. There are 2 subgroups of Lisu: - The Flowery Lisu (Hua Lisu) - The Black Lisu (He Lisu) Most of the Lisu in Thailand are the Flowery Lisu . The women of this group wear multi-coloured knee length tunics of red, blue or green with a wide black belt and blue or black pants.  Lisu men wear baggy pants and shirts made of felt with long sleeves and an insdie lining.  Silver buttons are sewn on the shirt, the more the better. They also wear a red sash around the waist and a shoulder bag.  Unlike women, they wear their bags in front instead of behind. Traditionally Lisu men used to wear red,black, yellow and blue silk turbans however these are almost impossible to come by now. As with most of the other hilltribes, the Lisu have no written language of their own.  Over the years Christian missionaries helped them to use the English alphabet to represent the sounds of their language. Tradtionally the Lisu are animists and practice ancestral worship but at the beginning of the 20th Century many Lisus in Myanmar and China were converted to Christianity by missionaries.  It is estimated there are 300,000 Christian Lisus in China, 150,000 Lisus in Burma, but the Lisus in Thailand have remained largely uninfluenced by Christianity.  They have however been influenced by Chinese culture for exmample they celebrate New Year on the same day as the Chinese.   Lisu villages usually have a shrine dedicated to the spirit 'Aphahmowhee' which is normally siutated at the top end of the village and has an altar where cups of Chinese tea are placed.  They offer foods to 'Aphahmowhee' believing it is a good spirit that will protect the village and bless them with happiness and good health.