Naxi

In 1939, at the age of 19, the grandson of Theodore Roosevelt set off to a remote part of Yunnan in southern China to study a people called the Naxi.

Mystical Art From a 'Lost' World Lawrence Osborne 2011

A painting on fabric, known as a thangka , depicts delicately rendered Naxi gods: Dongba Shila, the religion's founder; the four-headed Kozhe, who shoots down the demons of suicide; sly-eyed Natosa, god of wealth; the great god Soyiwade on his lotus throne, surrounded by rainbows and mystic jewels.

Mystical Art From a 'Lost' World Lawrence Osborne 2011

The Naxi are among the most mysterious people in Asia.

Mystical Art From a 'Lost' World Lawrence Osborne 2011

An ancient Naxi priest, known as a Dongba, wearing a five-lobed painted hat, approached and asked for a cigarette.

Mystical Art From a 'Lost' World Lawrence Osborne 2011

The gorge has a number of guesthouses run by the local Naxi, an ethnic group with a distinct language and culture.

Hiking China's Yellow Mountain & Tiger Leaping Gorge AP 2011

The artworks and artifacts that Mr. Roosevelt and Mr. Rock collected on their travels in the region are now being shown for the first time in an exhibition of Naxi art at New York's Rubin Museum, "Quentin Roosevelt's China."

Mystical Art From a 'Lost' World Lawrence Osborne 2011

The gorge has a number of guesthouses run by the local Naxi, an ethnic group with a distinct language and culture.

Hiking China's Yellow Mountain & Tiger Leaping Gorge AP 2011

There were intimate portraits of Naxi children and Tibetan monks, and lively scenes from monasteries, markets, and festivals.

When a Billion Chinese Jump Jonathan Watts 2010

The Naxi Ancient Music Association plays to packed houses at every performance.

When a Billion Chinese Jump Jonathan Watts 2010

Tourists joined girls in colorful Naxi costume in singing contests between balconies on either side of the stream.

When a Billion Chinese Jump Jonathan Watts 2010