The term Naxi studies (Naxi studies) first appeared in the "Naxi Manuscript Catalog" compiled by Locke and Yanat in 1965, similar to Tibetan studies, Mongolian studies, etc., using the suffix "- logy" to indicate "learning". Naxi studies refer to the Naxi ethnic group and its branches, including ethnic groups that called themselves "Na", "Naheng", "Nahai" before ethnic identification. Foreign scholar Locke first used the term "Naxi" to refer to ethnic groups such as "Moxi" in Chinese literature. After the Naxi people were officially designated as one of the 56 ethnic groups in 1954, foreign research often referred to them as Naxi or Naxi people. The history of Naxi studies abroad can be divided into three stages.

1、 The First Stage of Naxi Studies Abroad (mid-19th Century to 1949)

In the mid-19th century, Western scholars began to pay attention to the writing and literature of the Naxi people. French missionary Father Desgouerdan first revealed the existence of Naxi script to the West, laying the foundation for subsequent research. French scholar Buck was the first Western scholar to systematically study the Naxi and Dongba scriptures. His book "Some Studies" provides a detailed introduction to the Naxi hieroglyphs, language, culture, and religion. Buck also noticed the Bon elements in the Dongba religion of the Naxi people and believed that Dongba religion is the primitive Bon witchcraft that has been preserved to this day. Scholars such as Locke and Tucci further explored the relationship between Dongba religion and Bon religion. As a sinologist, Sha Wan provided profound historical and geographical connotations for "Some Studies". From missionaries and explorers to scholars such as Buck, Shawan, and Locke, field investigations have accumulated a large amount of Dongba ancient books and ethnographic materials, promoting the development of Naxi studies. Locke's research provides important clues for the comparative study of Dongba and Bon religions. Kunting Roosevelt conducted in-depth research on the painting art of Naxi Dongba religion, and his papers and published articles made unique contributions to the study of Naxi religious painting and rituals. From the late 19th century to 1949, the characteristics of Naxi studies abroad included: 1) an interest in Naxi pictographic characters; 2) Multidisciplinary scholars pay attention to Naxi studies; 3) Accumulated a large amount of literature and ethnographic materials; 4) Lack of involvement and in-depth theoretical explanation from social and cultural anthropologists.

2、 The Second Stage of Naxi Studies Abroad (1949-1978)

From 1949 to 1978, research on Naxi studies abroad was limited by China's isolation, with a lack of field investigations and first-hand information. The Federal German National Library collected Dongba ancient books with the support of Adenauer, while Locke compiled Dongba ancient books and published "Naxi English Encyclopedia Dictionary" and "Naxi Naxi Worship and Related Rites". British anthropologist Jackson used Locke's materials to publish a paper on Naxi Studies, and published "Naxi Religion - Analysis and Evaluation of Naxi Religious Classics". Japanese scholars such as Ryuzo Torii and Ryuo Nishida study Naxi script, history, and language, while Kiyoshi Ito and Tetsuro Suwa focus on Naxi mythology research. There is little academic exchange between Chinese and foreign scholars, so Li Lincan went to the United States to sort out the classics of Dongba. At this time, Naxi studies mainly focused on the compilation of Dongba ancient books and cultural anthropology research, but China's isolation limited the depth of research.

3、 The Third Stage of Research on Naxi Studies Abroad (1978 present)

Since China's reform and opening up in 1978, international Naxi studies have entered a period of vigorous development, with diverse research perspectives and methods. Scholars from different disciplines have the opportunity to come to China for field research, study abroad, participate in international academic conferences, and have increased exchanges with domestic Naxi scholars. The prosperity of international Naxi studies during this period is closely related to the reform and opening up. The research on Naxi studies presents a multidisciplinary, multi perspective, multi theory, and multi viewpoint research trend. Professor Yanat analyzed Naxi grammar and text translation through language research on contemporary Naxi language texts; Based on a macro perspective of the Himalayan region, Opitz conducted in-depth anthropological interpretation and comparative research on Naxi studies, pointing out that the Naxi people live at the intersection of diverse cultures, and their culture is based on oral inheritance, sharing collective styles and distinctive cultures with surrounding ethnic groups. Meng Qili opened up a new research path on the connection between Naxi dwellings and Naxi traditional cosmology, kinship system, etc., and conducted in-depth research on the kinship system, cosmology, and social organization of the Naxi people. Dr. Elizabeth Xu conducted in-depth research on the "house" culture of the Naxi people; Dr. Zhao Shenghua studies the relationship between Naxi women and society from a gender perspective, analyzing the development of tourism and the changes in women's social roles after the reform and opening up. Dr. Bai Xilin was the first to study Naxi studies from the perspective of medical anthropology, investigating traditional Naxi herbal medicine and the community cooperative medical system. Ke Lan studied Dongba religion and Naxi folk witchcraft from the perspective of medical anthropology. Dr. Susanna, Dr. Lan Shitian, and Dr. Lu Min conducted in-depth research on the matrilineal system and religious culture of Mosuo. Dr. He Meide conducted in-depth research on education in the history of the Naxi ethnic group. Professors Cavarney, Halbermayer, and Bockman are interested in Dongba culture and have included the study of Naxi culture as a research topic. Japanese scholars focus on the study of Naxi mythology, epics, legends, folk customs, and language, forming a distinctive feature of Naxi studies in Japan. Researcher Miko has achieved scientific research achievements in the field of Na language research, and his book "A Study of Tones in Yongning Na Language" has inspiring and promoting effects on the field of linguistic research. During this period, scholars from Europe, America, and Japan conducted field investigations in the Naxi ethnic settlements, accumulating a large amount of ethnographic data. With anthropology and ethnology scholars as prominent indicators, various schools of anthropological theories were applied to field research, presenting a diverse trend.

4、 Collaborative research on Naxi studies by domestic and foreign scholars since the 1980s

Since the 1980s, cooperation between Chinese and foreign scholars in the field of Naxi studies has been increasing, involving multiple areas such as language and literature, mythology, and folklore. Yang Fuquan collaborated with scholars from Germany and Canada to publish works such as "Modern Naxi Manuscripts and Grammar Analysis", and published a sociolinguistic paper in "Tibeto Burman Studies". The University of California, Davis and Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences have collaborated to publish "Rural Development and Ecological Survey in the Yulongshan Region of Lijiang". Whitman College in the United States held the "Naxi Culture Year" and published the book "Images and Their Changes: Re imagining in Dongba Art". Yugoslavia collaborated with Naxi scholars to publish "Naxi Pictography - Serbian Lexicon". Canadian photographer has published a brochure titled 'Images in My Eyes and Heart - People Living in Lijiang, Baidi, and Yongning'. The Center for Gender Studies at the Asian Institute of Technology has collaborated with Chinese scholars to publish works such as "Naxi Religion, Social Gender, and Culture". Yang Fuquan and other scholars have published multiple research papers on Naxi studies both domestically and internationally. International cooperation has promoted the exchange of research methods in Naxi studies, such as the popularization of participatory rural assessment in China. Since 1998, multiple exhibitions of Naxi culture have been held in Canada, Switzerland, the United States, and other places, such as the "Lijiang Naxi Culture Exhibition in China" and the "Naxi Objects, Mythology, and Pictography" exhibition. Important works such as "Naxi and Mosuo Ethnography - Kinship System, Ritual, and Pictography" have been published. In 2011, the Rubin Museum of Art in New York held the Naxidomba Cultural and Art Exhibition and published an academic work of the same name. These international cooperation projects and exhibitions have promoted the international exchange and cooperation of Naxi studies.

5、 Conclusion

The pictographic characters created by the Naxi priest Dongba and the ancient books written on them have unique value in the history of human cultural development, preserving a large amount of historical, religious, and folk materials, which is of great significance for studying the influence of ancient Bon culture and Buddhist culture. Naxi studies have received attention from the international academic community since the late 19th century, gradually forming and being referred to as Naxology by Western scholars. The reform and opening up have promoted international academic exchanges, leading to the flourishing development of Naxi studies abroad, especially in Europe and America, where Naxi studies have entered comparative research with ethnic groups and Bon cultures in the Himalayan region, expanding the scope of Naxi studies. The development of Naxi studies indicates that the cultural history of an ethnic group is closely related to the exchange and integration of ethnic groups in history. Sorting out the research on the hundred year history of Naxi studies abroad has many inspirations for in-depth Naxi studies. Studying the academic history of a nation requires broadening one's horizons, observing the research trends at home and abroad, and learning from each other's strengths and weaknesses. The study of Naxi studies abroad also provides insights into the historical interactions, exchanges, and integration of various ethnic cultures in the Tibetan Qiang Yi Corridor and the Himalayan region.