With nano-dimension, high aspect ratio, and high mechanical properties, cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) are emerging sustainable nanomaterials with potential applications in films and composites. However, their preparation often involves a series of chemical treatments such as delignification, bleaching and harsh chemical pretreatments, and treats lignin as waste. Herein, we report a sustainable method to prepare high-quality lignincontaining cellulose nanofibrils (LCNFs) from bamboo chips, using a one-step maleic anhydride esterification treatment without any toxic organic solvent or catalyst. The resultant LCNFs have high lignin content (24%), high surface charge (2.25 mmol/g), fine diameter (similar to 2.5 nm), and high aspect ratio (>400). These superior properties can be translated into the corresponding nanopaper films with high optical transmittance (85% at 600 nm), UV shielding (<10% transmittance at 200-350 nm), hydrophobicity (water contact angle 75), thermal stability (maximal weight loss temperature at 338 degrees C), and mechanical properties. Importantly, such films show the best reported tensile strength (290 MPa) among all the LCNF films, and it still outperforms conventional CNF films after 5 rounds of recycling. Furthermore, as sustainable nanofillers, such LCNFs can be directly incorporated into a hydrophobic polyester matrix, and significantly enhances the UV shielding and mechanical properties of the final nanocomposites. Altogether, with eco-friendly production and multiple functions, these LCNFs are a new class of nanocelluloses with high industrial relevance.