'Valley of flowing water'

Mix of ethnic groups gives Yunnan a special cultural flavor, report Cheng Yuezhu in Beijing and Li Yingqing in Kunming.

The Nujiang Grand Canyon in Yunnan province, with its sublime beauty, is now lauded by fans of road trips who would like to drive on the highway along the Nujiang River and listen to the sound of roaring water gushing between the banks.

There, the mountains are green in the summer, and concealed within are not only myriad natural wonders and fascinating creatures but also diverse ethnic cultures, a phenomenon shaped by Yunnan's geography.

One such hidden place is Dimaluo, a rustic village in Gongshan Derung and Nu autonomous county, known for its diverse ethnic groups and religions.

With a total population of slightly more than 2,000, the mixed settlement mainly comprises people from a number of ethnic groups, including Tibetan, Nu, Han, Derung, Lisu, Bai and Naxi. Many people follow Tibetan Buddhism and Christianity.

According to Zhou Xuebing, a lecturer at Southwest Forestry University, who has been conducting field research in Dimaluo and the neighboring areas since 2019, the village has people who follow the two religions, because of a history of migration.

"Dimaluo is a word from the Nu language, meaning 'valley of flowing water'," Zhou says. "Previously, the Nu ethnic group lived a semi-farming and semi-hunting lifestyle. According to the senior Nu locals, their ancestors found this place during hunting. Because its environment was suitable for farming and living, they settled down here."

Later, people from the Tibetan ethnic group moved into the village and brought Tibetan Buddhism. At the end of the 19th century, French missionary Annet Genestier preached Catholicism in the area and built the Baihanluo church, now a cultural landmark. In the early 20th century, Lisu people settled in the village and brought more Christianity along.

Related: Dimaluo village, a miniature of ethnic diversity across Yunnan