The HLA-DRB1 gene polymorphism in Lahu ethnic of Yunnan, China was the first time investigated using high resolution PCR-SBT method, which is based on sequences of HLA-DRB1 Intron 1 and Intron 2 and with our improvement. From 55 individuals of Lahu ethnic 16 DRB1 alleles were detected. The three most common alleles were HLA-DRB1 * 12021(30.909%), 09012(15.455%), 15011(13.636%), and they covered 60% of the total alleles detected from Lahu ethnic.HLA-DRB1 * 1413, * 11081, * 1312, * 1418, * 1504 were the first time detected in the Chinese, and were very rare in worldwide ethnic groups. With comparison of HLA-DRB1 gene frequencies between various ethnic groups we analyzed the characteristics of HLA-DRB1 gene distribution in worldwide populations,and constructed the phylogenetic tree by Neighbor-joining method and Nei measure of genetic distance. The result showed Lahu ethnic obviously belong to the Chinese South ethnic groups and can't trace its origin from northern groups with the HLA-DRB1 genetic data. The preliminary explanations about the contradiction were given in this paper.