It is widely know as 'the face-tattooed tribe', the group is well-known for the facial tattoos of its women.
Dulong women traditionally tattooed their faces when they at age of 12 or 13 years. Dulong facial tattoos often took the form of butterflies, in accordance with their belief that the souls of the dead turn into butterflies. The tattoos were etched onto the faces of the girls using bamboo needles and an ink made out of ashes from the bottoms of cooking pans. However, the custom was abolished after the People's Republic of China (PRC). There are now only less 28 living Dulong women with facial tattoos and this aspect of their culture may disappear very soon.
