Derung people
The Derung (also spelt Drung or Dulong) people (; endonym: ) are an ethnic group. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by China. Their population of 6,000 is found in the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan in the Derung Valley of Gongshan Derung and Nu Autonomous County. Another 600 can be found east of the Derung Valley, living in the mountains above the Nu River (Salween River) near the village of Binzhongluo in northern Gongshan Derung and Nu Autonomous County. Language The Derung speak the Derung language, one of the Sino-Tibetan languages. Their language is unwritten; in the past the Derung have transmitted messages and have made records by making notches on wooden logs. History There are few documents about the origins of the Derung. It is known, nevertheless, that during the period of the Tang dynasty, the Derung were under the jurisdiction of Nanzhao and the Dali Kingdom. The Derung Valley area, the southernmost part of Tsawarong, was known by the Tibetans as Changyul or Kiongyul, meaning the "valley of beer" because Derung people enjoy drinking. From the Yuan dynasty to the Qing dynasty, the Derung were governed by the local Tibetan or Nakhi