Palaung people

There are three main subgroups of Palaung: the Palé, Shwe and Rumai. The Palé, Riang, Rumai and Shwe peoples are grouped together as the De'ang ethnic nationality. The group also includes the Danau (Danaw) who may no longer have a separate identity from the Palé. ==Language==

There are three main principal Palaung languages: Palé (Ruching), Rumai, and Shwe (Ta'ang or De'ang). Many Palaung are multilingual, speaking multiple varieties of Palaung, Burmese, Shan, and Jingpo. Use of Shan among the Palaung has declined, while younger Palaung prefer to use Burmese as a common language with speakers of other Palaung varieties. The Ta’ang Committee for Literature and Culture published the first Burmese-Ta'ang dictionary in 2012. ==Distribution==

In Myanmar, the majority of Palaung groups of Myanmar live in northern Shan State especially in northwestern regions while some are located in the southern parts. In Thailand, many of the Palaung in northern Thailand are refugees living in refugee camps. Many of them have fled in the past decades from Shan State to escape persecution and oppression at the hands of various Myanmar's military rulers. In China, the De'ang (Palaung) are found in the Zhenkang County and Gengma County. ==Religion==

The majority of Palaung are adherents of Theravada Buddhism and Buddhist temples can be found in most of their towns. At the age of ten, many children are sent to monasteries, primarily for education. Most of them return to lay life in later years. However, some have also maintained their ethnic animist religion which is a system of beliefs based on nature spirits called nats. ==See also==

{{Gallery |title= Palaung village near Kyaukme, Shan State, Burma |width= 200 | height= 125 |align=center |footer= |File:Palaung_village_near_Kyaukme,_Myanmar_(2017).jpg |alt1= |alt2= |alt3= |alt4= |alt5= ==References==