Drung (独龙族)

Geography and Language of Drung (独龙族)

Living in northwestern Yunnan province, the Drung people speak a language which belongs to the Tibetan-Burmese group, and which is similar to the language of the Nu people. With no written equivalent, notches in wood and tied knots were their traditional ways of keeping records and transmitting messages.

• Population: About 7,426
• Distribution: Yunnan
• Language: Drung
• Religion: Polytheism

History of Drung (独龙族)

After being under the jurisdiction of the Nanzhou and Dali principalities, during the Yuan and Qing dynasties, Naxi headmen were in charge. They distinguished themselves after helping repulse a British military expedition in 1913.

Climate and Traditions of Drung (独龙族)

Monsoon winds from the Indian Ocean mean the area has heavy rainfall, with plenty of wild animals, medicinal herbs and mineral deposits in this mountainous area.

Up until 1949, when the communal system was abolished, primitive farm implements meant agricultural production was very low. Collective farming gave way to having blood-related families owning the means of production, but the emergence of oppressive landlords emerged with the sale of land.

Until recent times, the last vestiges of a system of marriage whereby several sisters married the same man, or polygamous marriages, still remained, though now monogamy is more common.

Dead bodies were cremated only when a person died of a serious disease; otherwise, they would be buried in hollow logs, and funerals were elaborate affairs with all members of the extended family attending and bringing sacrificial offerings of food.

Girls used to tattoo their faces at puberty, with various patterns according to the clan they belonged to.

Religion of Drung (独龙族)

Sacrifices are offered to appease evil spirits as the Drung people are animists, and the Drung New Year falls in the lunar calendar’s December. The date is not fixed, so neither is the date of the celebration. As long as there is food to be eaten, the celebrations will continue; Drung people dance around the bodies of slaughtered cattle which have been offered as sacrifices to heaven.

Modern Times of Drung (独龙族)

Gongshan Drung and Nu Autonomous County was established in 1956, when farm production and education were promoted. Paddy fields emerged as irrigation transformed the land; along with this came the raising of livestock processing of animal hides and the cultivation of medicinal herbs.

Transport in the area has been improved, along with there now being a post office, bookshop and even a film production team set up in the valley. Electricity has been brought to the area via hydroelectric power stations.