Drinking with one heart is two people drinking at the same time, sharing the same wine utensil. While drinking, each bends his or her arm around the other’s shoulder, ear to ear and cheek to cheek. One person holds the cup (or bowl, pipe) with the left hand, and the other with the right hand, both putting their mouths to the cup and drink together. They can drain the cup with one gulp, or just take a sip, sing a ballad and take another sip, till they empty the cup.

Various kinds of utensils are used in this way of drinking, including wooden bowls, bamboo pipes, ox horn cups, ram horn cups, and trotter-shaped cups etc. This custom is shared by a lot of nationalities. It is especially popular with the Yi, Miao, Lisu, Nu, Dulong and other ethnic minority groups.

This drinking custom has different names in different areas, such as “heart-joining drinking”, “unity drinking”, “two people’s drinking” and “duo drinking” etc. Generally, the aim of “drinking with one heart” is clear--removing misunderstanding, becoming friends with the same beliefs or strengthening the friendship between two people or two nationalities (tribes).