The Jinuo people, with a population of 18 000, got the name in ethnic group in 1980. Most of them are living in Jinuo mountain in Jinghong city and other places in Jinghong and Menghai counties. The Jinuos have no their own language.

In 1950's of this century, the Jinuos were in the late transitional stage of primitive society, Thet relied mainly on agriculture and their cultivation was known as the slash-and-bum method.

The Jinuo people spect the old and every village has a "Zhuoba" (father of village) and a "Zhuosheng" (mother of vllage) to take care of the affairs in the village.The capture they got in the wood is given to every orte in the village. The young people enjoy the 'freedom to choose their lovens. When children grow up, they will hold a "grown-up" ceremony. Their festivals are Torch Festival and New Rice Festival, etc.

Men wear white collarless Chinese tops and wide trousers. Women wear white vests embroidered with all kinds of patterns and round-collar blouses, and black skirts with red hems. They twist their braids up into a bun and wear a triangle cap and carry a big gunny-bag on their backs. Both men and women have the habit of wearing bracelets and big earrings.

The Jinuo people worship the sun which is embroidered on their vests. Sun Drum Dance is mostrepresentative of the Jinuos. The from of the sundmm is just.like a sun,with 17 wooden pipes round the drum, symbolizing the sun lights It is said thatit will bring you good luck to strike the sun drum on the eve of a new year.

The Jinuo people keep the habit of all the families with the same surname living together. There is a general fire pan in paternal line ;Big House, and a small pan in every family There are more than ten or even a hundred families living in a Big House.