In Hani language, “Xia Ga” means clever and well-behaved, may this lovable young man achieve more accomplishments and live as sweet as “honey”, just as the name of his nationality “Hani” foretells.

The Hani minority-- an ethnic group of taste and accomplishments

“Did you watch the competition? Xia Ga is amazing, right？” This is the most frequently asked “question” you hear in southern Yunnan Province recently. The competition refers to the torchbearer selection program for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games jointly launched by Lenovo, the designer of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch, and China Central Television (CCTV), Chinese National TV.

Xia Ga, one of the most popular nominees in the torchbearer competition, achieved instant fame and received huge coverage for his peculiar appearance，wearing folk pants and naked to the waist, with grotesque make-up and a hairstyle from ancient Mohican and inspiring drum-playing performances with distinctive national features. “The drum-playing can best symbolize the soul of the Chinese nation and its ambition to host the most memorable Games in history,” said Xia Ga sincerely.

Where does he come from? What does this place look like？

Xia Ga is of the Hani ethnic minority in southern Yunnan Province. The Hani ethnic group shares its origin with the Yi and Lahu ethnic groups. According to historical records, they all evolved from the ancient Qiang people. The Qiang people used to be a nomadic tribe living in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Later one branch of them moved south and early by the 3rd century, their forefathers inhabited the swampland along the Dadu River and Yalong River.