China's Minority Peoples - The De'angs 德昂族

The De'angs, with a population of 15.462, live scatterly in Luxi County of Dehong Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, and Zhenkang County of Lincang Prefecture in Yunnan Province. Some can be found in Yingjiang, Ruili, Longchuan, BaoshanXianghe, Longling and Gengma counties intermixing with the Jingpos, Hans, Lisus, Vas and Dais.

As one of the oldest tribes in the southwest border area, the De'angs, derived from the ancient Pu people, are descendants of the Mangman Tribe. After the founding of new China, they used to be called the Benglong Nationality. Later in 1985, they took the named De'ang.

The De'angs live in loose communities, often side by side with the Hans, Dais, Jingpos and Vas. Hence their religion, habits and customs have long been influenced by the above mentioned peoples, especially the Dais.

The De'angs love sour and hot food and strong tea. Known as the Ancient Tea Growers, the De'angs excel in gathering wild plants and growing tea, and every family possesses tea trees of fine strains. They are also good weavers of bamboo wares and thatched roots their traditional silver vessels enjoy high lame among the neighboring peoples.

The De'ang language, with three dialects, belongs to the Va-Ang branch of the Austro-Asiatic family Many De’angs speak Chinese, the Dai and Jingpo languages.