Naxi DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · China (Yunnan) · East Asia
The Naxi live around Lijiang, in the mountains of northwestern Yunnan where China's southwest meets the Tibetan Plateau. They are known for the Dongba script, a pictographic writing system kept by their ritual specialists, whose manuscripts are listed in UNESCO's Memory of the World register. Naxi is a Tibeto-Burman language. In our model, the Naxi average is 92.9% East Asian, 3.7% South Asian hunter-gatherer related and 3.4% Southeast Asian Neolithic farmer, one of the most northern-looking profiles of southwestern China, with less of the southern component than the Yi (7.5%). The closest modern averages reflect their position on the edge of the plateau: Liangshan Yi (0.0142), Tibetans from Xinlong (0.0159), the Bai and the Qiang of Danba, then the Pumi, all speakers of Tibeto-Burman languages. The ancient matches come from far to the north, among the Neolithic farmers of central China: Baligang in Henan (0.0285 and 0.0301) and Yangshao-culture sites in Gansu (0.0344).
- Ancient components in our model: East Asian 92.9%, South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) 3.7%, Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers 3.4%
- Closest modern population in our data: Yi (Sichuan Liangshan Yi Zhaojue), distance 0.0142
- Closest ancient group in our data: China Henan LN Yangchao Baligang, distance 0.0285
This page sums up what the DNA of the Naxi sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in China (Yunnan), 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 Naxi average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Naxi average comes out as 92.9% East Asian, 3.7% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) and 3.4% Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers. The East Asian component reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
Smaller traces of South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) and Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers (under 5% each) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.034): 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 Naxi
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Yi (Sichuan Liangshan Yi Zhaojue) first for Naxi, at 0.014, then Tibetan (Xinlong) and Bai. Even the tenth closest, Tibetan (Yunnan), is only 0.029 away: Naxi belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yi (Sichuan Liangshan Yi Zhaojue) | 0.0142 | Very close |
| 2 | Tibetan (Xinlong) | 0.0159 | Very close |
| 3 | Bai | 0.0207 | Very close |
| 4 | Qiang (Danba) | 0.0233 | Very close |
| 5 | Naga (Myanmar) | 0.0255 | Close |
| 6 | Pumi | 0.0276 | Close |
| 7 | Naga (Chakhesang) | 0.0279 | Close |
| 8 | Qiang (Sichuan Garze Danba) | 0.0285 | Close |
| 9 | Jingpo (Yunnan) | 0.0286 | Close |
| 10 | Tibetan (Yunnan) | 0.0293 | 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 Naxi
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Naxi average is China Henan LN Yangchao Baligang (Late Neolithic), at 0.029. China Henan MN Yangchao Baligang and Xinjiang HP Tang Dynasty-Uygur Period Lafuqueke (Sino-Tibetan Profile) come next. That is a close match: much of the modern profile was already present then, while later movements of people added further layers. 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 Henan LN Yangchao Baligang | Late Neolithic | 0.0285 |
| 2 | China Henan MN Yangchao Baligang | Middle Neolithic | 0.0301 |
| 3 | Xinjiang HP Tang Dynasty-Uygur Period Lafuqueke (Sino-Tibetan Profile) | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.0325 |
| 4 | China Henan MN Yangshao Zhugang | Middle Neolithic | 0.0332 |
| 5 | China Gansu MN Yangshao Gedachuan | Middle Neolithic | 0.0344 |
| 6 | China Gansu MN Yangshao Wangjiayinwa | Middle Neolithic | 0.0345 |
| 7 | China Henan LN Qujialing Baligang | Late Neolithic | 0.0351 |
| 8 | China Shaanxi MN Yangshao Wuzhong | Middle Neolithic | 0.0355 |
| 9 | China Henan EBA Erlitou Wangchenggang | Early Bronze Age | 0.0358 |
| 10 | China Henan HP Tang Dynasty Lusixi | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.0359 |
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 Naxi population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Most frequent mtDNA haplogroups
| Haplogroup | Individuals | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 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)
- 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)
- 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 Naxi
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Naxi average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Naxi 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 Naxi individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Naxi. 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.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Naxi 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 Naxi?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Naxi average is about 92.9% East Asian, 3.7% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) and 3.4% 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 Naxi?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Naxi average are Yi (Sichuan Liangshan Yi Zhaojue), Tibetan (Xinlong) and Bai. The closest ancient matches are China Henan LN Yangchao Baligang, China Henan MN Yangchao Baligang and Xinjiang HP Tang Dynasty-Uygur Period Lafuqueke (Sino-Tibetan Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Naxi?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Naxi 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 Naxi ancestry?
For the Naxi 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.