The Deng people live mainly in the valleys of the E Qu, Zayu Qu, Gedo Qu and Dolai Qu rivers in Zayu township of Zayu County, their population being about 1,500, accounting for 1 percent of the total area. Their language belongs to the Tibetan-Myarma branch of the Chinese-Tibetan language.

The Deng people live mostly by agricultural production, raising millet, corn, and vegetables, such as the pepper, bean and taro. Gathering is the major sideline. They also hunt and raise domestic fowls. The Deng people's costume is different from those of the other minority groups in Tibet, but similar to those of some minority groups from Yunnan Province. The Deng women wear long, sleeveless blouses and straight skirts, and wear silver, cresent-shaped fine-toothed combs, with ornamental engraving, in their hair. The men wear long, sleeveless shirts and scarves, which are made of cloth woven by the Deng women. They all carry a long knife, a necessity of everyday life and production. The Deng people believe that everything in nature has a soul, and have a custom of killing animals to exorcize ghosts.

The Deng people enjoy drinking and smoking. Their houses are long and windowless, like porches, with bamboo or wooden walls and floors. They have distinctive wedding and funeral customs, and have many taboos. Before 1951, the Deng people lived in the primeval forests flanking the Sang'ang Qu River at the southern end of the Hengduan Mountains. Having no transport facilities, they rarely had contact with the outside world, and life was difficult. A Deng folksong goes: "We live like monkeys in the deep forest, and see no sunlight all the year round." Now their life has undergone great transformation. Flanking the Zayu River are new villages, with new dwellings and terraced fields, the fragrance of rice filling the air. With the improvement of their living standards, their mindset has changed. Now they are masters of their own lives and enjoy equal rights with the other Chinese people.

The other minority groups in Zayu County of the Nyingchi area include the Nu people (nearly 400), Dulong people, Lili people and Naxi people.

To accelerate the development of the economy and culture of the local minority groups, protect their legal rights and interests, and strengthen national unity, since 1985, the government of the Tibetan Autonomous Region has established the Namyi Lhoba Township in Mainling County (May 1985), Pailung Moinba Township in Nyingchi County (April 1988) and Dagmo Lhoba Township in Medog County (April 1988), according to the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the PRC Law on National Regional Autonomy. With the continuous development of the social economy, the Moinba, Lhoba and Deng peoples in the three minority townships and four bordering counties of the Nyingchi area are happily thriving.