Sleeves, shoulders, and cuffs are heavily embroidered with narrow, horizontal bands of blue, red, and yellow. Men wear green, pink or yellow baggy pants and a blue jacket opening vertically. The Lisu live at moderate to high altitudes, though many are now moving down into lowland areas. Their houses are built on the ground, with dirt floors and bamboo walls around a central ridge. They live as extended families, the number of bedrooms depending on the family size.
Unmarried girls have a private bedroom after puberty.
Every home has an altar at the back of the communal living area with a shelf holding vessels and incense sticks honouring their ancestor. Courtship and marriage are highly stylised among the Lisu, involving a high bride price . There are more than twenty clans of Lisu, and marriage should be between members of different clans. The Lisu believe strongly in the spirit world, and their shamans are used to divine the causes and cures of all problems and sickness. Many Lisu villages were until recently involved in the opium trade, and were reputed to grow the best opium.