China is a multi-ethnic group country with a long history. Naxi Nationality is one of the Chinese nationalities.

Population and Distribution

They mostly live in the Naxi Autonomous County in Lijiang, Yunnan Province, while the rest live in Sichuan and Tibet. Their population was 308,893 according to the 2000 census. In the name Naxi (also spelled Nakhi), Na means senior and honored and Xi means people.

Language and Literature

Their language belongs to the Tibetan-Burman group of the Sino-Tibetan phylum. In the past, they used a pictographic language called 'Dongba' and another called 'Geba'. In 1957, they designed characters based on the Latin alphabet and now most can write in Chinese. The Dongba Scripture (or Dongba Jing) that their ancestors left has recorded all facets of the Naxi life and is highly valued for posterity as a means of studying their cultural identity and history.

Religion

Before the foundation of modern China in 1949, most of the people held the faiths of Dongba Jiao, believing that all have spirits and those spirits eternal. When they encountered significant events such as marriage, death, festivals, or disasters, they would invite a shaman to chant. Although Buddhism, Taoism and Christianity have been present in their homeland, few Naxi people have turned to adopted these religions.

Life Styles

They live on farming, stockbreeding and handicrafts. Reaches of the Jinshajiang River is abundant in botanical resources such as trees and medicinal herbs. Over time the Lijiang horse enjoyed a reputation as one of the 'Three treasures of Lijiang' which were presented to the official courts. They were popular as hardy mountain work animals.

Their breakfast is simple and usually consists of steamed bread, but lunch and supper are often more lavish. Naxi people are found of pickled pork. Their pickled Pipa pork is famous for having a shelf life of several years.

Festivals

Grounded in the lunar calendar, the main Naxi festivals are Spring Festival, Pure Brightness, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and Torch Festival. Generally, these festivals are celebrated with worship and sacrificial activities.

Other Customs

They are warm and kind. After a hunt, they will share a piece of the kill with a casual passerby. When visited, they will prepare six or eight delicious dishes to treat their guests. Most of the young Naxi people insist that they have one spouse and usually they have a very complicated process to protect their monogamous marriage. However, those living beside Luguhu Lake in Lijiang, still keep the 'walking' marriage tradition alive. For this reason the naxi of Lugu are the only remaining vestiges of a matrilineal clan among all the Chinese ethnic groups.