Nu people

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The Nu people are one of China’s 56 officially recognized ethnic groups. They are also known as Nusu, Nung, Zauzou and Along. The total Nu population is about 36,575, divided into Northern, Central and Southern Nu.

Where they live
Most Nu people live in Yunnan Province, China, especially in Gongshan, Fugong and Lanping counties. A large number also live in Kachin State, Myanmar. In Yunnan they share the region with Lisu, Drung, Tibetan, Nakhi, Bai and Han people. A smaller amount of Nu are found in Weixi County (Diqing) and Zayu County (in Tibet), near the Yunnan–Tibet border. The Nu homeland is a high, rugged mountain area cut by rivers such as the Nujiang (Salween) and the Irrawaddy system (N’Mai and Mali rivers).

Language and writing
The Nu speak several Tibeto-Burman languages, including Nusu, Rouruo, Dulong and Nung (also called Anong), and Rawang. They do not have a single traditional written language of their own, but the Chinese government has helped develop a Latin-based script for them.

Dress and appearance
Nu dress varies by region and gender. Women typically wear linen or cotton tunics with sleeves and long skirts, with young girls wearing aprons over their tunics. They often wear necklaces made of colored beads, and some adorn themselves with coral, agates, shells and silver, plus large copper earrings. Men wear linen tunics over shorts, often with coral in the left ear and a machete hanging from the waist. They may carry bows and arrows and wear black turbans; many keep their hair short to ear length.

Housing and daily life
Many Nu homes are two stories. The lower floor serves as a barn and storage area, while the upper floor contains the living quarters. The inner room serves as a bedroom and storeroom, and the outer room as a kitchen and guest area. Traditional houses are built from bamboo-slips or wood, with wood buildings being common because they are stronger. Agriculture is the main occupation. They grow crops like maize, buckwheat, barley, potatoes, yams and beans, using simple farming methods and little to no chemical fertilizer. The harvest per person is typically short of what is needed, so hunting and fishing supplement their diet.

Religion and culture
Most Nu follow Tibetan Buddhism and Animism, a belief system connected to nature. A minority have become Christians. The northern Nu are more likely to practice Tibetan Buddhism, while many southern and central Nu retain Animist beliefs, with some Christian influence in the south due to historical missions.

Festivals
Two notable Nu celebrations are the Fairy Festival and Jijilamu (a spring festival). The Fairy Festival, held around March 15 on the Chinese lunar calendar in the Gongshan area of Yunnan, tells a legend about a spider’s web rope bridge that helped people cross the Nu River. People gather in villages, pick azaleas, honor a legendary fairy maiden, sing, dance and tell stories, and sometimes hold ball games and archery contests. The Jijilamu festival lasts about 15 days around the end of the lunar December to the start of lunar January and is celebrated by Nu communities in several counties of Yunnan. Losar (Tibetan New Year) is also observed by some Nu who follow Tibetan Buddhist practices.

Related groups
The Nu are related to several other Tibeto-Burman groups, including the Lisu, Rawang, Derung, Tibetic groups like Tibetans, Nakhi and Bai, and various other neighboring peoples.

Origins of the name
The name Nu comes from the Nujiang (Salween) River, near which many Nu historically lived. The river’s name and the people’s name are linked to that region.

In brief
The Nu are a mountainous, culturally rich people living mainly in China's Yunnan province and Myanmar's border areas. They speak several Tibeto-Burman languages, have distinct dress and housing traditions, practice Tibetan Buddhism and Animism (with some Christians among them), and celebrate unique festivals that reflect their historical connection to rivers, nature and community life.