The Naxi (pronounced nah-shee), like many ethnicities of southwestern China, are believed to descend from the ancient Qiang people of the Tibetan plateau. The Naxi first settled in the area in and around Lijiang in the 3^rd century AD. Some studies show that the nearby Mosuo people of the Lugu Lake area and the Bai people in the Dali region descended from the Naxi, but these claims remain unproven.

The Naxi are originally followers of the Dongba religion, which originated from the Tibetan Bon religion. Dongba is a shamanistic religion, and the word Dongba literally translates to ‘wise man' in the Naxi language. Dongba is based on the relationship of nature and man, as shamanistic religions commonly are. In Naxi culture, Shamans were similar to part time priests who performed rituals and rites for adherents of Dongba. Many elements of Dongba practitioners have shown to be similar to those of Tibetan Bon Shamans, which is a likely and logical conclusion. Dongba is also the name of the Naxi script. The writing system is beautiful and unique, but very difficult to learn, making it largely obsolete.

See the Wikipedia entry on Naxi people