41. Chinese Nationalities Nu Page 2 -- Minorities by Descending Populations

The Nu people used to be called Nusu, Anu, and Along. With the founding of the PRC in 1949, it was agreed upon that their official name would become the Nu ethnic group.

The spoken language of the Nu people, consisting of three dialects, belongs to the Tibetan-Burmese group of the Chinese-Tibetan language family. These dialects differ from each other so greatly that people from different dialect areas cannot even communicate. As a result of frequent contact with the Han and Lisu, most Nu people can speak the Chinese and Lisu languages. Without a written script system of their own, the Nu people used to keep records by carving notches on sticks. Now, Han script is in common use.

The Nu are farmers who are closely related to the Tibetans. Some follow lama Buddhism, while others are nature worshippers or Christians. They live in both wooden and bamboo houses. The men are fond of carrying long-bladed chopper, bow and animal quivers.