Where do the Dulong people live?

The Dulong people (独龙族, Dúlóng zú) live in the Dulong River Valley of Gongshan County, Yunnan Province, one of the most isolated regions in China.

What is unique about Dulong facial tattooing?

Dulong women traditionally wore facial tattoos (纹面, wén miàn) as a mark of beauty and ethnic identity. This practice is now rare, with only a few elderly women still bearing the marks.

What language do the Dulong speak?

The Dulong language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family of Sino-Tibetan languages. It has no written script and is closely related to the Nung language of Myanmar.

What is the most important Dulong festival?

The most important festival is the 'Kachuwala' (卡雀哇节, Kǎquèwā Jié), celebrated with shamanic rituals, cattle sacrifices, and the striking of sacred bronze drums.

What are Dulong blankets made of?

Dulong blankets are handwoven on backstrap looms, traditionally from hemp and later from wool or cotton, and worn wrapped around the body as clothing and bedding.

How did the Dulong cross the rivers?

Historically they used aerial rope slides called liu suo, along with simple suspension bridges, to cross the deep gorges of the Dulong River valley.

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👥 Ethnic Culture

Derung (独龙族)

✍️ by xiaoyu luo 🗓️ Updated Jul 29, 2026 Pop: ~7,310 · Yunnan province (Gongshan)

In the remote Dulong River valley of northwestern Yunnan, isolated by some of China's most rugged terrain, the Derung people (独龙族, Dú lóng zú) are one of China's smallest ethnic minorities with approximately 7,300 people. Until recently, their valley was accessible only by a treacherous mountain trail that was impassable for half the year due to snow, preserving a unique culture in extraordinary isolation.

The Tattooed Women

The most distinctive Derung tradition — now vanished — was the facial tattooing of women. Derung girls received facial tattoos upon reaching adolescence, typically around age 12 or 13. The tattoos, applied using plant-based pigments and thorns, consisted of geometric patterns on the face — lines, dots, and diamond shapes that covered the forehead, cheeks, and chin. Unlike the Li facial tattoos of Hainan, Derung tattoos were not markers of clan identity but were associated with beliefs about beauty, protection from evil spirits, and recognition by ancestors after death. The practice ended in the mid-20th century, and today only a handful of elderly tattooed Derung women remain — the last living bearers of this ancient tradition.

Life in the Dulong Valley

The Derung homeland is one of China's most isolated regions. The Dulong River valley is hemmed in by mountains exceeding 4,000 meters, and until the construction of the Dulong River Highway (completed in 2014 after decades of effort), the valley was cut off from the outside world for six months each year by heavy snow. The Derung practiced slash-and-burn agriculture, growing corn, buckwheat, and beans, supplemented by hunting, fishing, and gathering. Their traditional dwellings were wooden houses built on mountain slopes, and their material culture included distinctive bamboo and rattan weaving, bark cloth, and simple but effective tools adapted to the mountain environment.

The Kaquewa Festival

The Kaquewa Festival (卡雀哇节, kǎ què wā jié), celebrated at the end of the lunar year, is the Derung New Year and their most important celebration. The festival involves the ritual sacrifice of cattle, communal feasting, singing, and dancing. It is a time for honoring ancestors, celebrating community bonds, and marking the passage of time in a society where the annual cycle of seasons governed all aspects of life. The Kaquewa Festival was recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

More About This Ethnic Group

The ethnic minority groups of China represent an extraordinary tapestry of cultural diversity, stretching across the vast landscapes of this ancient land. With 55 officially recognized minority nationalities alongside the Han majority, each group contributes unique traditions, languages, and customs that have been carefully preserved and passed down through countless generations. These communities are primarily concentrated in the autonomous regions of Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, and Guangxi, as well as in the culturally rich provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Qinghai, where some of the most diverse concentrations of ethnic cultures in the world can be found.

China's ethnic minority policies provide important protections for minority languages, cultural practices, and regional autonomy. Many minority communities have autonomous prefectures or counties where their languages are used in local government, education, and media. Traditional festivals, such as the Dai Water-Splashing Festival, the Yi Torch Festival, and the Mongolian Naadam, are celebrated with government support and draw visitors from around the world. These celebrations are not merely tourist attractions but living expressions of cultural identity that reinforce community bonds and transmit cultural knowledge to younger generations.

The cultural heritage of these communities extends to every aspect of daily life — from distinctive architectural styles adapted to local environments, to colorful traditional costumes that encode social information through their patterns and designs, to unique musical instruments and dance forms that express the community's relationship with nature and the cosmos. Embroidery, silverwork, textile weaving, paper-cutting, and countless other handicrafts continue to thrive in minority regions, with many recognized as national or even UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. These crafts are not frozen museum pieces but living traditions that evolve while maintaining their essential character.

In recent decades, concerted efforts to document and preserve minority languages and oral traditions have intensified across China. Scholars and cultural workers collaborate with community elders to record epic poems, folk songs, creation myths, and traditional ecological knowledge before they fade from living memory. Many minority languages that once had no written form now have standardized writing systems, and bilingual education programs help ensure that children can learn both their mother tongue and Mandarin Chinese. Museums, cultural centers, and digital archives have been established to safeguard this heritage for future generations.

Tourism has also played a significant role in the revitalization of minority cultures, offering economic opportunities while raising awareness of the importance of cultural preservation. Ethnic tourism allows visitors to experience traditional architecture, sample distinctive cuisines, purchase handmade crafts directly from artisans, and participate in local festivals. When managed responsibly, this engagement provides income that supports the continuation of traditional practices and gives communities a stake in preserving their cultural heritage. For travelers and culture enthusiasts, visiting minority villages and participating in local festivals offers an authentic window into China's remarkable cultural mosaic and the enduring vitality of its ethnic traditions.

Weaving and the Dulong Blanket

The Dulong blanket, known as the dulong tan (独龙毯, Dú lóng tǎn), is the community's most distinctive textile. Woven on simple backstrap looms from hemp and, in later times, wool and cotton, it features bold horizontal stripes of red, yellow, blue, and black. Worn wrapped around the body, it serves as both everyday clothing and a blanket against the mountain cold, and its colors are said to mark the wearer's skill and identity. Alongside blankets, Dulong artisans practice rattan and bamboo weaving (藤编, téng biān), crafting baskets, mats, and sturdy carrying frames suited to steep terrain. These handicrafts remain a living link to a self-sufficient mountain economy, and striped Dulong blankets are now recognized as a treasured expression of the group's heritage.

Hunting and the Crossbow

For generations the crossbow (弩弓, nǔ gōng) was central to Dulong subsistence, used to hunt the deer, boar, and birds of the forested slopes. Compact and powerful, the Dulong crossbow was crafted from locally sourced wood and sinew, with poison-tipped arrows reserved for larger game. Hunting was guided by customary respect for the forest, with rituals of thanks offered after a successful catch. Although modern roads and markets have reduced reliance on hunting, the crossbow endures as a symbol of Dulong skill and independence, and older men still make and demonstrate them. The weapon also appears in oral stories that explain the relationship between the Dulong people and the animals of their isolated valley.

Rivers, Gorges, and River Crossings

The Dulong River carves a deep gorge through some of China's highest mountains, and for centuries it was the great barrier of Dulong life. Before roads reached the valley, the only way to cross the torrent was the liu suo (溜索, liū suǒ), an aerial rope slide of bamboo and vine stretched above the water, down which travelers propelled themselves in a wooden cradle. Such slides, along with simple suspension bridges, connected villages to trading routes and to the outside world during the snow-free months. The central hearth (火塘, huǒ táng) of every home anchored family life, warming the house and smoking meat for preservation. These crossings and hearths shaped a culture adapted to one of the country's most rugged frontiers.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

The Dulong people (独龙族, Dúlóng zú) live in the Dulong River Valley of Gongshan County, Yunnan Province, one of the most isolated regions in China.
Dulong women traditionally wore facial tattoos (纹面, wén miàn) as a mark of beauty and ethnic identity. This practice is now rare, with only a few elderly women still bearing the marks.
The Dulong language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family of Sino-Tibetan languages. It has no written script and is closely related to the Nung language of Myanmar.
The most important festival is the 'Kachuwala' (卡雀哇节, Kǎquèwā Jié), celebrated with shamanic rituals, cattle sacrifices, and the striking of sacred bronze drums.
Dulong blankets are handwoven on backstrap looms, traditionally from hemp and later from wool or cotton, and worn wrapped around the body as clothing and bedding.
Historically they used aerial rope slides called liu suo, along with simple suspension bridges, to cross the deep gorges of the Dulong River valley.

Preserving Tradition in Modern Life

Today, the Dulong continue to maintain their cultural identity through festivals, traditional dress, and craft practices passed down for generations. While modernization has brought change to even the most remote villages, younger members of the community are increasingly turning to digital media and cultural tourism to keep their heritage alive. The Chinese government's intangible cultural heritage protection program has also helped document and support many traditional practices that might otherwise have been lost, ensuring that the unique cultural voice of the Dulong will not fade into silence.

Chinese Terms

独龙族 (Dú lóng zú)

The Derung ethnic group

纹面 (wén miàn)

Facial tattooing

卡雀哇节 (kǎ què wā jié)

The Kaquewa Festival — Derung New Year

独龙毯 (Dú lóng tǎn)

The Dulong blanket, a striped wrap worn as clothing

溜索 (liū suǒ)

The aerial rope slide used to cross rivers

弩弓 (nǔ gōng)

The crossbow, a traditional hunting tool

藤编 (téng biān)

Rattan weaving, a Dulong craft

火塘 (huǒ táng)

The hearth, center of home life

Fun Facts

Until 2014, the Derung valley was isolated from the outside world for six months each year by heavy snow — the Dulong River Highway, completed after decades of construction, finally ended this isolation.
Only a handful of elderly Derung women with traditional facial tattoos remain — they are the last living bearers of a practice that ended in the mid-20th century.
The Derung are one of China's smallest ethnic minorities with only about 7,300 people, living in one of China's most remote and spectacular river valleys.
The Dulong blanket (dulong tan) is woven with bold horizontal stripes and worn wrapped around the body as both daily clothing and a warm cover against the mountain cold.
The crossbow (nu gong) remains a proud symbol of Dulong hunting heritage, and skilled elders still craft and demonstrate the weapon in some villages.
A central hearth (huo tang) traditionally anchored every Dulong home, providing warmth, light, and a place to smoke meat for preservation through the long winters.