With a population of 13,000, the Shui minority people of Yunnan Province who mostly engage in farming inhabit in concentrated communities at Gugan Shui-minority Township and Huangnihe Town of Fuyuan County. The ethnic origin of the Shui minority could be traced to the Luoyue，a branch of the ancient Baiyue tribe, whose ethnic name was transliterated as “Sui” in the Chinese language. The Shui minority people speak their own language, extensively adopt Chinese as written language and follow a kind of calendar which is based on the cyclic changes of the lunar phases. The Shui people worship the primitive religion which claims “all things on earth have their souls and such souls are immortal.” It is the common practice of each Shui family to hang the tunkou mask over the door frame for dispelling evils and disasters and bringing them good luck and happiness.

The Shui Village is built by water and dotted with farm tools. The architectural style features the “street-side” wood-board houses which are commonly seen at Gugan Shui- minority Township of Fuyuan County in Yunnan Province, and the Eight-Diagram Wheel,  Dragon Pool and the Dragon Trees around the houses may add to the centuries tradition features of the Shui Culture.