The
Naxi are an
ethnic group in the foothills of the
Himalayas north-west
Yunnan province,
China. Their culture is partly based upon
Buddhism and is an influence from
Tibet. The Naxi are thought to have descended from Tibet, and until recently maintained overland trading links with
Lhasa (and thus
India). They were brought to the attention of the world by two men, the
American botanist
Joseph Rock[?], and the
Russian Daoist doctor
Peter Goullart[?], both of whom lived in Lijiang and travelled throughout the area during the early twentieth century. Peter Goullart's book
Forgotten Kingdom describes the life and beliefs of the Naxi and neighbouring peoples, while
Joseph Rock[?]'s legacy includes diaries, maps and photographs from the region.
The official Chinese government classification classes the Mosuo (摩梭) as part of the Naxi people, however despite proximity and similar origins in Tibet, the two groups remain culturally distinct. Notably, the Mosuo are a matriarchal society.
The Naxi have used a variety of scripts in the past, however they eventually developed an intriguing pictographic script of their own. Although beautiful, the
Dongba script[?] is difficult to interpret and takes many years to learn. In the past, the
Dongba[?] (Naxi scholar-priests) learnt the script, and would pass it on to future generations. The script is now in danger of extinction.
The ancient Naxi town of
Lijiang[?] is now a major tourist destination, and its cobbled paths and running waters are extensively photographed by tourists. Some Naxi run shops catering to tourists, such as those serving traditional Naxi bread (
baba).