The NaxiThe Naxi number about 300,000. Most of them live in Yunnan province, the rest in Sichuan province and Tibet.
The Naxi people are the descendants of the ancient Qiang people who inhabited the region thousands of years ago. In the Sui and Tang dynasties they came to be recognized as a distinct ethnic group called the Mosha-yi. Only since the founding of the People’s Republic have they begun to call themselves the Naxi.
The Naxi language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language family. In the seventh century AD, the Naxi people created their own pictographic characters called Dongba. The script was very difficult to interpret however and was never widely used by people other than Naxi priests. Today, most Naxi speak Mandarin because of their close contact with the Han people.
The Naxi people practice Dongba, their own ancient religion, and Tibetan Buddhism.
Agriculture is the main occupation of the Naxi people. Chief crops include rice, corns, potatoes, wheat, beans, cotton, and hemp. The Naxi regions are rich in forest resources.
