Introduction

According to the sixth national census in 2010, the population of the Shui ethnic group was 411,847, mainly distributed at the junction of Guizhou and Guangxi province. There are also Shui villages in Fuyuan County in Yunnan Province. The population of the Shui people in Yunnan Province is around 7,000.

The Shui has its own language and traditional writing system. Their language belongs to the branch of Dongshui (Dongtai) of Zhuangdong branch of Sino-Tibetan language family.The ancient writing system of Shui has preserved the characteristics of pictorial writing,pictograph and abstract writing. The Shui writing is a heritage of Xiashang culture, which is a spiritual pillar for the Shui people. Fish is the totem of Shui. Eating rice with fish is an important social custom ofthe Shui.