More than 90 per cent of the 27,700 Achangs live in Longchuan, Lianghe and Luxi counties in the Dehong Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in southwestern Yunnan Province. The rest live in Longling County in the neighboring Baoshan Prefecture. These areas are on the southern tip of the Gaoligong Mountains. The river valleys contain many plains, the Fusa and Lasa being the largest of them.
Dense forests populated by deer, musk deer and bears cover the mountain slopes.
Natural resources, such as coal, iron, copper, lead, mica and graphite, abound. Most Achangs also can speak Chinese and the language of Dais. Their written language is Chinese. Achangs treasure their oral culture of ballads, stories and folk tales. Singing alternating duets is a favorite evening recreation of young men and women.