Its area was equivalent to the southern part of present-day Gansu Province, China.

They did not have a written language, but did record the years by waiting for the growth and fall of plants and trees.

When their married men died, their wives were taken by their stepfathers, uncles, brothers or brothers-in-law for themselves.

According to the Book of Qi, tiger skin was a commodity in Dangchang at the time, as their people used them in funeral ceremonies.

While they were willing to resubmit after each defeat, the Northern Zhou, successor of the Western Wei, eventually launched a campaign to finally conquer Dangchang after their ruler Liang Miding repeatedly raided their territory in 564.