Formerly both Simao and the surrounding region of Pu'er prefecture played a major role in the historic tea horse trade between Yunnan, Tibet and India, with Simao acting as the southern terminus or starting point for the transport of tea by mule caravan north to Dali, Lijiang and Lhasa.

Han Chinese live mostly in Simaoba 思茅坝, Yixiangba 倚象坝, and Laojuntian 老君田 (Simao Prefecture Almanac 1993:477).

[6] The Dai people live in various villages on both sides of the Dazhong 大中河, Jiufang 酒房河, and Xiaohejiang 小黑江 rivers, namely Mangdie 芒垒, Mangyao 芒腰, Mangpan 芒畔, Qianluo 迁洛, Jiufang 酒房, Longtan 龙潭彝族傣族乡, Zhengwan 整碗,[7] Mamu 骂木, Bangnong 蚌弄, Boluo 菠萝, and other villages (Simao Prefecture Almanac 1993:478).

Subgroups include Biyue 碧约, Budu 布都, Kaduo 卡堕, Ximoluo 西摩洛, and Bukong 布孔.

In Simao District, the Bulang people (population 272 as of 1990) live near the junction of the Xiaohei River 小黑江 and Lancang River 澜沧江, in the villages of Guanzhai 官寨,[8] Tuanliangzi 团梁子,[9] Mangbang 芒蚌,[10] Mangba 芒坝, etc., in a total of six villages (Simao Prefecture Almanac 1993:480).