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 The
majestic Jade Dragon Mountain overlooks this
historically matriarchal society in southern
Yunnan province. For many years, possessions
and family lines were passed through the woman's
side of the family. While the women went out
to work, the men took care of the housework.
As the Naxi came under Chinese control in the
1700's the matriarchal rule gradually subsided.
Although they are small, the Naxi are well-known
for their unique pictographic script. The writing
system was developed over 1500 years ago, and
is the only form of hieroglyphics in known-use
today. The script was originally used by their
priests, called "Dongbas." Today,
few Naxi can actually read and write the script, and
most use a more recently developed phonetic alphabet.
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