Forest products such as bamboo, rattan, and mushrooms are exploited. Fish are often raised in the rice paddies, and some fishing is also done in streams and rivers. Each family is divided into many branches. The family is usually headed by a khan thu or headman, who settles differences, represents the village in relations with the outside, and unites the population. Despite his privileges and responsibilities, however, the headman is often poor.
Families are usually small, and descent is recognized through the father's line.
Women are bound by many traditional restrictive customs, although girls are free to choose their own husbands. All young men and women must have parental consent to marry. The Man Cao Lan have their own distinct literature and art, part of which they have developed themselves and part of which they have borrowed from neighboring cultures. Much of their literature and art has been handed down from generation to generation. The people have stories of their origin, of a great flood, and of human dignity and courage.