3. Chinese Nationalities (Blang Minority) -- Minorities by Alphabetic Sequence

Blang (Blang) Nationality

The village of Xiaojie, about 15km before Damenglong, is surrounded by Belang, Lahu and Hani villages. The Blang hide their heads beneath caps, The Blang are possibly descended from the Lolo in northern Yunnan. The women wear black turbans with silver decorations; many of the designs are of shells, fish and marine life. Damenglong is near the Myanmar border in the Xishuangbanna Region.

The Blang are found in Yunnan, Province. The Blang people mostly inhabit areas with an elevation of 1,500 meters or higher. They are engaged in hilly land agriculture, and grow cotton, shellac and tea. They are farmers, with an economy based on shifting cultivation. The main traditional religions are Hinayana Buddhism, polytheism and ancestor worship. The Blang area is famous for its Pu'er tea. Some people speak Thai, Wa or Chinese. They are part of the Austroasiatic Mon-Khmer ethno linguistic group, and their culture is closely related to those of nearby Burma (Myanmar) and Laos.