ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Nanman

Okay kiddo, "nanman" refers to a group of people who lived in ancient China a long time ago. They were different from the majority of the Chinese people who lived in the central part of the country. The word "nanman" actually means "southern barbarians" in Chinese, but today we don't use it because it can be hurtful to some people.

The nanman lived in the southern part of China, which had a very different environment from the rest of the country. They had a lot of forests and mountains, and they had their own unique culture and customs. Some of the nanman tribes even had tattoos and wore animal skins as clothing.

But just because they were different from the other Chinese people, it didn't mean they were bad or wrong. In fact, many nanman tribes had their own advanced technologies and ways of life that the Chinese could learn from. The Chinese and the nanman sometimes traded and interacted with each other, and even had peaceful relationships.

So in summary kiddo, the nanman were a group of people who lived in the southern part of ancient China and had their own unique culture and ways of life. And even though they were different, it didn't mean they were bad or wrong.