[Fedora]

I believe the early Taiwan farmers were related to the Tai of Ban Chiang culture and the mid/upper Mekong. It is certaoinly the right language group. The furthest north into China these folks probably got was Nong Chau Kingdome which was pretty well wiped out by the Khans who considered them the lowest form of barbarians -- a tension that still persists both on the mainland and between Han and native on Taiwan.

Pretty interesting! Before they were wiped out by the Khans, did they leave any cultural remains behind?--might be illuminating to examine any remains of their culture for comparison/contrast with other Chinese cultural groups, esp. with respect to any visual representations of their racial features.

[JimSEA]

Thais is easily done as there are remnant groups in Yunnan, Hainan Island and Guangxi provinces in China as well as Thailand, Laos, Northern Burma, Vietnam, Northeast India. Current Southeast Asian culture is heavily influenced by the refugees from China pushing into Mon and Khmer areas of the South. It had been assumed that the Chinese influence only came after the Indic and by way of Chinese traders but archealogical sites show the influence coming from the North between 800 and 1200 AD. There are so many influences plus the original culture which carried North into China initially, that it will probably take the opening up of Burma, Laos and Norheastern Vietnam before a lot gets sorted out. Up until some 20 -30 years ago, it was assumed that all culture and advancements flowed from China south to meat with this Mon / Indic culture but Extensive "Ban Chiang " cultural sites ranging from the Black river basin in Vietnam through the entire Korat Plateau to the Northern Thai, Burmese, Laotian. Mekong area. There they find very earky metallurgy, agriculture, pottery and walled villages.