The people on the shore refer to the Tan people as "Mito" and "Lianjia Boat", etc., and the name of the Tan people on the shore reflects the characteristics of the life of the Tan people, that is to say, the Tan people are a group living on the water surface, and have the customs and habits of living on the water surface collectively.
Water dwelling is the result of oppression and discrimination by the rulers, and over time they have formed their unique living habits and customs. They have no fixed place to live, and float in the rivers and seas; He has lived here for generations and even died. Generally speaking, a boat is the survival unit of a family, and three generations, young and old, live in the boat. The canopy can be divided into two or three sections, the front and back can be moved, very lightweight, when fishing, it can be stacked on top of the rear barn, and it can be pulled away at night to cover the whole boat, which can shelter from the wind and rain and prevent cold and frost, and is convenient for the people to live. Fishing taxes are often levied by the government on the basis of boats. The Tan people pay attention to hygiene and cleanliness, and clean the boat several times a day. All the planks in the cabin are washed with tung oil. Both the host and the guests can roam barefoot on the boat. From childhood to adulthood, the Tan people lived a wandering fishing life on the sea and never went ashore. They are accustomed to water and are good at boating.
In 1729, by the emperor's decree, the Tan people went ashore to live and live. However, the Tan people, who are called "back boats" by the people on the shore, still maintain their customs and habits of living in the water. They all live in groups of dilapidated houseboats or fishing boats, forming a fishing village with a rich character. The houseboat is a distinctive living room that inherits the fishermen's water-dwelling lifestyle. The so-called "houseboat" is when fishermen place abandoned fishing boats on the beach. The cabin is covered with an arched mat that can be moved or lifted at will. Later, they covered the houseboats with asphalt paper or wooden planks. The houseboats are neatly arranged on the beach, and it has become a unique charm of the Tan folk customs. The Tan people also placed the spiritual seats of their ancestors in the cabin, and burned incense at four o'clock to worship. This kind of houseboat arrangement may be the totem worship style left over from the Ming and Qing dynasties in China. For a long time, they used to live and live on ships, and the Tan people liked to sit on the boat with their feet crossed, and even when they went to the shore, they still retained their previous habit of sitting cross-legged. The houseboat is furnished as it was in the past, in order to achieve psychological balance and stability. They also like to sit cross-legged when eating, which is different from the way people on land sit on chairs.
There are also many taboos in their daily lives: they take off their shoes when walking around the boat, and they do not allow outsiders to wear shoes on board. Because the Tan people have lived on ships all their lives, they have experienced wind and sand for many years, and their property and lives are on board. They are taboo about all the language and actions that have a bad effect on the ship. For example, when dining, it is forbidden to place the dining tools upside down. Do not flip the fish over when eating fish. If something in the house is broken, they think it's a bad omen; There is a taboo when talking to cats, because cats eat fish, and the most taboo is that the houseboat they live in is tainted with evil spirits, which will lead to unfavorable things about hitting the boat. There are also specific taboos: women are forbidden to step over the front of the bow; It is forbidden for a woman who has just given birth and has not had a full moon to touch her ship. It is forbidden for the bodies of dead people to pass through the bow of the ship, so as not to bring disadvantages to production. Strangers are forbidden to enter the stern. Because the stern helmsman is at the helm, he is afraid that the ship will fail due to bad luck. It is forbidden to defecate on the bow of the boat. It is forbidden for women to cross the net for fear of not being able to catch fish and shrimp. The groom must be married for 4 days or a month before he can go to sea.