Professor Liu Yaohan, the famous internationally renowned ethnologist and historian, was dead in Beijing at the age of 91 years old on the morning of November 10,2012. As the first professor of Yi, he dedicated his whole life to the study of Yi culture.Vhd彝族人网（彝人网）- 彝族文化网络博物馆

Liu Yaohan, was born in Shatan Lang Village of Majie County, Yunnan Chuxiong, in 1922. He admitted to the Department of Biology, Yunnan University in 1943, then transferred to the Department of Sociology and studied sociology under Professor Fei Xiaotong in the following year. He was the pathfinder of Yi study in China, and he had also made remarkable contributions in searching for the origin of the Chinese civilization. Among his studies, he discovered the 10 month and 18 month Solar Calendar of the ancient Yi Civilization, which altered the monopolized status of Mayan’s 18 month calendar and caused a great impact both domestically and overseas. This provides new insight in searching for the relationship and heritage between Chinese and American ancient civilization. As a result, he gained 2008 Peace Media Messenger. Vhd彝族人网（彝人网）- 彝族文化网络博物馆