Achang people
Achang woman's dress | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| ~29,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| People's Republic of China, mostly concentrated in Yunnan province, smaller population in Burma | |
| Languages | |
| Achang, Xiandao (SIL, khan31tao31), Burmese, and Southwestern Mandarin | |
| Religion | |
| Theravada Buddhism, Taoism, and a mixture of animism and ancestor worship. | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Bamar, Rakhine, Yi, and other Sino-Tibetan peoples |
The Achang (Chinese: 阿昌族; pinyin: Āchāngzú), also known as the Ngac'ang (their own name) is an ethnic group. They are one of Tibeto-Burman languages speaking people. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. They also live in Myanmar, where they're known as Maingtha (Burmese: မိုင်းသာလူမျိုး) in Shan State and Ngochang in Kachin State.
The Achang number approximately 27,700, with 27,600 residing in Yunnan province, primarily in Lianghe County of Dehong Autonomous Prefecture. The Achang speak a Burmish language, related to Burmese, known as Achang. However, there is no indigenous writing system for the language, and Chinese characters are often used instead. Many Achang also speak Tai Lü language, mainly for commercial transactions with the Dai people.
The Husa Achang (戶撒), living in Longchuan County (also in Dehong), speak a distinct dialect and consider themselves to be a separate group. In the 1950s, they filed an unsuccessful application to be recognized as a distinct nationality. The Husa are more Sinicized than other Achang, with Confucian-style ancestral memorial tablets commonly found in their homes. Most traditional Husa people practice a mixture of Theravada Buddhism and Taoism.