Blang people
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (92,000) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| China: Yunnan; smaller populations in Burma and Thailand | |
| Languages | |
| Blang, U | |
| Religion | |
| Theravada Buddhism, Animist | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Va |
The Blang (布朗族 : Bùlǎng Zú) (also spelled Bulong) people are an ethnic group. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China.
Yan & Zhou (2012:147) list the following autonyms of ethnic Bulang in various counties.
Exonyms for Bulang include (Yan & Zhou 2012:147):
People classified as Bulang in China speak various Palaungic languages, including Blang and U.
The Blang language belongs to the Palaungic branch of the Austroasiatic language family. Within the Palaungic branch, Blang belongs to the Waic subgroup, which also contains the languages of the Wa and Lawa peoples in addition to Blang. Some Blang also speak the Chinese language and Southwestern Tai languages in addition to Blang. Two systems of writing based on the Latin alphabet have been developed: 'Totham' in the Xishuangbanna and 'Tolek' from Dehong and Lincang.
Chinese ethnographers identify the Blang as descendants of an ancient tribe known as the "Pu" (濮), who lived in the Lancang river valley during ancient times. It is believed that these people were one branch of a number of peoples that were collectively known to the ancient Chinese as the Bǎipú (百濮, literally "Hundred Pu").
Traditionally, the Blang considered teeth blackened by chewing betel nuts a beauty characteristic.
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Wikipedia