The Waxiang people (Chinese: 瓦乡人; pinyin: Wǎxiāngren) are an unrecognized ethnic group living along the Yuan River in Yuanling County of western Hunan, China.
They call themselves Huaxiang people (IPA::/wa33 ɕioŋ55/)[citation needed] and they speak Waxiang Chinese.
Compared to the Han, Miao and Tujia people of the region, they are different in terms of living style, farming and other cultural norms.[how?]
The Waxiang people are an unrecognized ethnic group in China, with a population of about 400,000.
According to a study on their physical characteristics, the Waxiang were found to be closest related to the Derung and Lahu people.