They also enjoy eating dog meat, but a dog is only prepared for a very special occasion. Wine made from rice is a popular beverage. The Chienchiang live mainly in two-storied houses. Often, the family lives on the upper floor, while animals are kept on the bottom level. Villages are located away from the main roads and may be surrounded by a stone wall or bamboo stockade.
Most villages are small and situated near rivers or on plains.
The Chienchiang are known as gracious and hospitable people. They consider it an honor to have visitors in their homes. The hosts will often entertain the guest with a lavish meal, and as a sign of honor, the visitor is offered the head and feet of a duck. Chienchiang marriages are nearly always monogamous , that is, each man has only one wife. Sometimes marriages are arranged while the future bride and groom are still toddlers.