Presenting to the Gnu

The name of Gnu includes four villages with different languages and well differentiated cultures: the Anong, Along, Ruorou and Nusu, with an entire population of approximately 30.000 persons. Since the name is recent, it might translate like that of the "peoples of the river Gnu"

Location: All of them live in the shores of the river Nujiang, in the province of Yunnan, spreading along approximately 500 kilometers of his shore, in the neighborhood of the gullet Xiagu. Counties of Fugong, Bijiang and Gongshan. It is a mountainous area, with steep gullets and forests virgins. The temperatures are warm and the abundant moisture.

The Anong, inhabitants of the county Fugong, were the first ones that came to this region, there are at present approximately 8.000. According to a legend his origin was somewhat eventful, since after the deluge that destroyed his grounds two brothers married, having 7 embryos that do not go so far as to be born, of the last one of them there was born an ant, from which his first parents descend.

The Along, approximately 8.000. They live for centuries in the Gongshan area, have received great Tibetan influence.

The Ruorou, also called "men of the wheat", are approximately 2.000 persons, they live in the Lanping county, close to the river Lancang, support good relation with the Bai and the Pumi.

Nusu, approximately 11.000, live in the county Bijiang. His name means "The men of out".

Language: His languages are still slightly studied, and although all of them belong to the family Tibeto-birmana, it is not known of that branch. Each of these four languages is unintelligible for the not native ones, nowadays his language is used fundamentally for the familiar life, while for the commerce and other social activities they use the language of the Bai, the Lisu or other neighbors.

Copyright © 2004 www.wuhancom.net