Dong (Kam) DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · China (Guizhou) · East Asia
The Dong, who call themselves Kam, live where Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi meet in southern China. They are famous for their wooden drum towers and covered 'wind and rain' bridges, and for the Grand Song of the Dong, a polyphonic choral tradition recognised by UNESCO. Their language belongs to the Kam-Sui branch of the Tai-Kadai family. This page uses the Guizhou average. In our model, it is 45.6% East Asian, 43.2% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmer and 11.2% Southeast Asian Neolithic farmer, an almost even balance of the northern and southern components, with less of the latter than the Zhuang (52.4%). The closest modern averages cross language boundaries: another Dong sample (0.0061), the Mulao, Miao from Longsheng in Guangxi (0.0084) and Sui samples, so Kam-Sui and Hmong-Mien speakers in these hills share much of their ancestry. The closest ancient group is a Yuan to Ming-era population from Huatudong in Guangxi (0.0185).
- Ancient components in our model: East Asian 45.6%, Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers 43.2%, Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers 11.2%
- Closest modern population in our data: Dong (Guizhou Liping), distance 0.0061
- Closest ancient group in our data: China Guangxi HP Late Yuan-Ming Dynasty Huatudong, distance 0.0185
This page sums up what the DNA of the Dong (Kam) sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in China (Guizhou), listed in the G25 sheet as "Dong_Guizhou", and it is one of 335 populations in our atlas. An average describes the group as a whole, not any single person in it.
Ancient make-up of the Dong (Kam) average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Dong (Kam) average comes out as 45.6% East Asian, 43.2% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers and 11.2% Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers. The East Asian component reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia. The Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers share (43.2%) reflects the Neolithic rice and millet farmers of southern China, whose descendants spread into Southeast Asia.
The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.037): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Fenghuang – Sinosphere Report
Closest modern populations to Dong (Kam)
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Dong (Guizhou Liping) first for Dong (Kam), at 0.006, then Mulao (Guizhou Majiang) and Miao (Guangxi Guilin Longsheng). Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Mulao (Guizhou Majiang) (0.008), Miao (Guangxi Guilin Longsheng) (0.008) and Sui (Guangxi Yizhou) (0.009). Even the tenth closest, Dong (Hunan), is only 0.012 away: Dong (Kam) belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dong (Guizhou Liping) | 0.0061 | Very close |
| 2 | Mulao (Guizhou Majiang) | 0.0083 | Very close |
| 3 | Miao (Guangxi Guilin Longsheng) | 0.0084 | Very close |
| 4 | Sui (Guangxi Yizhou) | 0.0087 | Very close |
| 5 | Sui (Guangxi Huanjiang) | 0.0094 | Very close |
| 6 | Miao (Guizhou Qiandongnan Leishan) | 0.0098 | Very close |
| 7 | She (Guizhou Qiandongnan Majiang) | 0.0103 | Very close |
| 8 | Miao (Guangxi Liuzhou Rongshui) | 0.0104 | Very close |
| 9 | Bunu (Qing Yao) | 0.0106 | Very close |
| 10 | Dong (Hunan) | 0.0117 | Very close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Dong (Kam)
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Dong (Kam) average is China Guangxi HP Late Yuan-Ming Dynasty Huatudong (Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD), at 0.019. China Guangxi HP Late Yuan-Ming Dynasty Baitaishan and China Guangxi HP Ming Dynasty Genggaishan come next. That is a very close match, which suggests strong genetic continuity between those ancient people (or close relatives of theirs) and the modern population. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China Guangxi HP Late Yuan-Ming Dynasty Huatudong | Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD | 0.0185 |
| 2 | China Guangxi HP Late Yuan-Ming Dynasty Baitaishan | Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD | 0.0219 |
| 3 | China Guangxi HP Ming Dynasty Genggaishan | Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD | 0.0238 |
| 4 | China Guangxi HP Ming Dynasty Huatuyan | Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD | 0.0239 |
| 5 | China Huaqiao 400BP | c. 1550 AD | 0.0277 |
| 6 | China Huatuyan 400BP | c. 1550 AD | 0.0311 |
| 7 | China Guizhou HP Yuan-Ming Dynasty Pingtang Cave | Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD | 0.0375 |
| 8 | China Huatuyan 500BP | c. 1450 AD | 0.0394 |
| 9 | China Yunnan HP Yuan Dynasty Dou-Sha-Guan | Historical period | 0.0412 |
| 10 | Vietnam Early-Late Modern Quang Ninh | Modern era, c. 1500-1950 AD | 0.0444 |
Ancient DNA from China
Our ancient DNA database holds 2,865 individuals excavated in present-day China, dated from about 100,550 BC to 1823 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are O2a (168), C2b (74) and N1b (59), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are D4 (208), C4 (121) and B4 (72). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Dong (Kam) population.
Ancient sample data compiled by Nomad on the GenArchivist forum.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups in ancient samples from China
Most frequent mtDNA haplogroups in ancient samples from China
| Haplogroup | Ancient individuals | Example samples |
|---|---|---|
| D4 | 208 | NE34 NE-5 NE5_AmurRiver |
| C4 | 121 | WQM4 NE9 NE-9 |
| B4 | 72 | Tianyuan BS Dushan4-1 |
| F1 | 68 | NE19 WGM35 18R21265 |
| D5 | 50 | BLSM14 BLSM27S BLSM45 |
| U5 | 49 | NLKG218_M5-1 G218M5-3N C3340 |
| G2 | 45 | NE56 JZ24089582-C24-22 S96 |
| A | 35 | M89_Houtaomuga JZ24089566-C8-28 ZJG7 |
Ancient DNA studies on China
- Ancient DNA unveils distinctive ancestries in the Bronze and Iron Ages of East Tianshan (2026)
- Ancient DNA unveils distinctive ancestries in the Bronze and Iron Ages of East Tianshan (2026)
- Ancient DNA unveils distinctive ancestries in the Bronze and Iron Ages of East Tianshan (2026)
- Genomic characterization of historical Jinlingnan individuals: insights into genetic continuity and trans-Eurasian signals in eastern China (2026)
- Go north: Isotope and aDNA analysis reconstructing the life history of a first-generation immigrant in the early Western Zhou Yan state (2026)
- A prehistoric East-Asian Yersinia pestis genome and a ~5.3 ka trans-Eurasian expansion of plague (2026)
- Genomic signatures of female exogamy and cultural interaction in a Tang Dynasty patrilineal clan (2026)
- Genetic continuity and dietary change during the emergence of millet farming in northern China (2026)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 2,865 from China.
Compare yourself with Dong (Kam)
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Dong (Kam) average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Dong (Kam) and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Dong (Kam) individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Dong (Kam). Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Thanks: to Nomad (GenArchivist) for the population and ancient sample collection this atlas is built on, and to Davidski (Eurogenes) for Global25.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Dong (Kam) average. Your own DNA has its own story: Fenghuang – Sinosphere Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people of Sinosphere / East Asian ancestry: ancient regional core (Yellow & Yangtze River Neolithic, Erlitou/Shang/Zhou dynasties, Han Dynasty, Yayoi migration, Tang Dynasty, Manchu/Qing era) versus non-regional outside...
More populations from East Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Dong (Kam)?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Dong (Kam) average is about 45.6% East Asian, 43.2% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers and 11.2% Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Dong (Kam)?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Dong (Guizhou Liping)), the closest modern populations to the Dong (Kam) average are Mulao (Guizhou Majiang), Miao (Guangxi Guilin Longsheng) and Sui (Guangxi Yizhou). The closest ancient matches are China Guangxi HP Late Yuan-Ming Dynasty Huatudong, China Guangxi HP Late Yuan-Ming Dynasty Baitaishan and China Guangxi HP Ming Dynasty Genggaishan.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Dong (Kam)?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Dong (Kam) average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Dong (Kam) ancestry?
For the Dong (Kam) average, the regional report to choose is Fenghuang – Sinosphere Report, which our fit test rates as a good match. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.