Chinese Ethnic Groups, Nationalities, Han People, Ethnic Minority
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Ethnic Groups
As a large united multi-national state, China is composed of 56 ethnic groups. Among them Han Chinese account for 91.59% of the overall Chinese population and the other 55 make up the remaining 8.41% according to the Fifth National Population Census of 2000. As the combined population of these other ethnic groups is far fewer than that of the Han, they form the 55 ethnic minorities of China.
These numerous ethnic groups share China’s vast lands but at the same time many live in their individual communities. The relationships between the different ethnic groups have been formed over many years.
Han Chinese
With a population of 1159.4 million, the Han Chinese can be found in almost every part of China. However, they mainly live in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, Yangtze River and the Pearl River, and also in the Northeast Plain Region (Songliao Plain). They form the largest ethnic group within China and also the largest in the world.
The Han people have their own distinctive way of life. Please click to get more information about the Han.
55 Ethnic Minorities
Although they make up only a small proportion of the overall Chinese population, the 55 minority ethnic groups are distributed extensively throughout different regions of China. The regions where they are most concentrated are Southwest China, Northwest China and Northeast China. No matter whether it is Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Ningxia, Guangxi, Tibet, Yunnan, Guizhou, Qinghai or Sichuan, Gansu, Hubei, Hunan or another province, one can find Chinese ethnic minorities. From the areas listed above, the greatest number of minorities can be found in Yunnan Province (25 ethnic groups). Zhuang has the largest population (more than 16 million) of minority ethnic groups.
In order to ensure that the 56 Chinese ethnic groups live together in harmony, the Chinese government introduced a series of policies including ones to secure the equality and unity of ethnic groups, give regional autonomy to ethnic minorities and promote respect for the faith and customs of ethnic groups. Among these the policy of regional autonomy for ethnic minorities is the most fundamental. Under this policy, five autonomous regions; Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Guangxi, Ningxia and Tibet, as well as numerous autonomous prefectures, counties, nationality townships and towns have been set up. With guidance from the Chinese government, the ethnic minorities in areas that have been given regional autonomy are entitled to deal with their own affairs. Together with the Han people, the Chinese ethnic minorities are making great efforts to build a prosperous China.
Each of the minority ethnic groups has a distinctive and different character.
Achang : one of the earliest people in Yunnan; famous for being good at growing rice and forging iron weapons such as cutting tools
Bai: the masters of artistic creativity and favor white clothes and decorations; creative in architecture, painting, music, sculpture and lacquer work
Blang: live in Yunnan Province; mainly practice agriculture; good at planting tea trees and early rice; do many artistic practices such as literature and music
Bonan: live in southwest of Gansu Province; mainly engage in handicraft industry; believe in Islam; play traditional woodwind or stringed instrument
Bouyei: inhabit in Guizhou Province as early as in the Stone Age; advanced in agriculture and forestry; good at brocade and embroidery
Chaoxian: dwell mainly in northeastern part of China; their ancestors are the immigrants from the Korean Peninsula; have similar festivals with Han People
Dai: distribute in southern part of Yunnan Province; a versatile nation who has made certain achievement in music; believe in Southern Buddhism
Daur: a considerably smaller minority who said to be the descendants of Khitan tribe in Liao Dynasty; lay stress upon etiquette; have many taboos of their own
Deang: a small minority distributed in Yunnan Province; they are skilled craftsman, and have profound tea culture; rice, wheat, corn and legume are the staple foods
Dong: living in the border regions between Hunan, Hubei and Guizhou Provinces; skilled in handcrafts; rice, millet, wheat sorghum are the staple foods
Dongxiang: mainly inhabit in Gansu Province, with farming and stocking as their mode of production; believe in Islam; enjoy drinking tea
Dulong: one of the smallest minority groups in China; believing that there are spirits who control everything; have two meals a day; carpet is their distinctive handicraft
Ewenki: mostly live in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region; good at singing and dancing, horse-racing and wrestling; believe that Gods control their life
Gaoshan: most live on Taiwan Island; like singing ballads and telling tales; have rituals for daily activities, such as sowing, harvesting, hunting and fishing
Gelao: an old ethnic minority good at the refinement of forging, blacksmith and stonecutting; believe in the bless from many Gods and their ancestors
Gin: most live in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; make a living on farming and fishing; most believe in Taoism; seafood and rice are their staple foods
Hani: mainly inhabit within the reaches of Yuan and Lantsang Rivers; have interesting marriage custom; believe in the great influence of many Gods and their ancestors
Hezhen: the smallest minority in China; believe in Shamanism and all have spirits and worship as many gods; fish is their staple food
Hui: believe in Islamism; the religious thoughts play important role in their daily life; their life style is very different from other minority groups
Jingpo: mainly distribute in Yunnan Province; skilled at carving, painting, weaving and embroidering; believe everything has a soul which will never die
Jinuo:live mainly in Yunnan Province; an old minority who believe in animism; rice and corn are their staple food; the Iron Forging Festival is the grandest festival
Kazak: mainly dwell in Xinjiang, Gansu and Qinghai; love music and have many unique musical instruments such as Dongbula; believe in Islam
Kirgiz: most live in Xinjiang; adept at literature, music, sports and handicrafts; do animal husbandry; some of them believe in Islam and some believe in Tibetan Buddhism
Lahu: most are scattered around the Lancangjiang Lahu Autonomous County; believe in Mahayana; regard black as the most beautiful color
Li:mainly live in middle and southern part of Hainan Province; favorite corn, rice and sweet potatoes; depend on agriculture, breeding and handicrafts industries
Lisu:most live in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces; mainly live on corn and buckwheat; created their own calendar composed of ten months divided by nature’s change
Luoba:dwell at the foot of Himalayas, and make a living by doing agriculture and hunting; have unique food custom, and corn, rice and a kind of local grain are their staple foods
Man:originated from the Jurchen tribes; have a long history and brilliant culture; the creator of Jin and Qing Dynasties; has made great influence to Chinese history
Maonan:mainly distribute in Huanjiang County in Guangxi Province; live on agriculture and handicraft industry; rice and corn are their staple foods
Miao:has a relatively larger popular compared with other minorities in China; skillful in handicrafts such as paper-cutting, embroidery, weaving, and jewelry casting
Monba: mainly distribute in Tibet and has a long history; their staple food are corn, rice and buckwheat; adept in weaving with vines and bamboo vines; have interesting wedding ceremony
Mongol:primarily live in Inner Mongolia; the minority on the horseback; the staple food is meat and milk; the greatest festival is Nadam Fair
Mulam:a smaller minority group dwelling mainly in Guangxi Province; believe in natural spirits; adept at pottery making and iron forging
Naxi: mainly live in Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet; the major production activities are handicrafts, stock breeding and farming; most of them believe in Dongba Religion
Nu: most live in the southwest of Yunnan Province; believe everything has spirit and some believe in Christianity and Lamaism; good at playing musical instruments
Oroqen:dwell mainly in Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang Province; good at hunting and making wares with iron, wood and bone; the staple food is meat
Primi:live on agriculture and livestock; believe life is influenced by gods and ancestors; celebrate Spring Festival, Pure Brightness Festival and Dragon Boat Festival
Qiang: mainly live in Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province; their staple foods are beef, mutton, chicken, fish, corn, wheat and potatoes
Russ: derived from Russian immigrates in 18th Century; most live in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; celebrate Christmas Day and Easter Day
Salar:mainly live in Qinghai, Gansu and Xinjiang Provinces; make a living by engaging in horticulture, handicrafts and agriculture
She: most live in Fujian and Zhejiang Provinces; believe in the influence of ancestors and totems; the staple foods are corn, rice, beans and potatoes
Shui: mainly distribute in Guizhou Province; have their own language; good at stone-carving, paper-cuts, silver jewelry making and batik techniques
Tagik: have splendid culture and long history; live on agriculture and stock husbandry; believe in Islam and lay stress upon etiquette
Tatar: mainly live in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; have their own language; follow Islam; depend on agriculture, stock husbandry and handicrafts
Tu: mainly distribute in Qinghai and Gansu Provinces; practice Animism and Taoism; live on agriculture, stock husbandry and sheep breeding
Tujia: distribute widely in Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou and Sichuan Provinces; believe in the great influence of gods and ancestors; live on agriculture and fish industry
Uygur: mainly live in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regions; believe in Islam; their unique staple foods are nang, zhuafan and noodles
Uzbek:mainly live in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regions; believe in Islam, and depend on stock breeding and handicrafts industries
Wa:mainly live in Yunnan Province; make a living by doing agriculture; some believe in Buddhism and Christianity; rice is their staple food
Xibe: distribute in Jilin, Liaoning and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; live on stock husbandry and agriculture; wheat flour, rice and mutton are their staple food
Yao:distribute widely in the mountainous areas in south of China; corn, rice and potatoes are their staple food and they like drinking tea and homemade wines
Yi: widely live in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Guangxi Provinces; have a long history and splendid culture; treasure various beliefs
Yugur:mainly live in Gansu Province; the typical nomads live on stock breeding; believe in Lamaism; preserve many traditional cultures such as folk tales, legends and ballads
Zang:most live in the Tibetan Autonomous Region; believe in Tibetan Buddhism (also called Lamaism); Tsamba, butter tea, mutton and beef are their staple foods
Zhuang:the largest minority group in China mainly living in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; has a long history and splendid culture
Han Nationality
As the largest ethnic group in both China and world wide, Han Chinese has a population of about 1.16 billion accounting for 19% of the world’s total population. Over 99% of Han people live in China while others live abroad in other countries like Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, North America and many countries in Europe such as the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Han Chinese has become one of the main ethnic groups in those countries.
For years, the Han people together with other Chinese ethnic minorities lived mainly on agriculture, and made outstanding achievements in the spheres of politics, philosophy, art, literature and natural science.
Language and Character:
Chinese belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family of languages and is the language of the Han people. The Chinese language is divided into seven dialects namely Mandarin, Wu Dialect, Xiang Dialect, Gan Dialect, Min Dialect, Cantonese and Hakka. In different regions, the standard of Chinese varies. The Mandarin is the standard designated language on the Chinese mainland and Taiwan; while Cantonese is the prime dialect of Hong Kong.
Chinese is written in two forms by the Han people – the traditional Chinese characters and simplified Chinese characters. The latter is derived from the former and is now used by most Han people.
Religion:
Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, are the main religions of the Han people. Many people also belong to various Christian denominations due to the influence of western culture.
Food and Food Culture:
The staple food of Han is rice and wheat. Rice is versatile and can be served in a variety of ways including porridge, rice cake, glutinous rice dumpling and rice noodles. Wheat is used in the production of steamed bread, noodles, steamed stuffed buns and wonton. Han people living in different regions of China have formed unique styles of cooking. The eight cuisines are the representative.
Tea and alcohol are the Chinese traditional drinks. The Han Chinese likes to entertain their honored guests with Chinese tea and alcoholic drinks.
Housing:
House styles and materials of the Han people vary in different regions of China. Those built in North China are mostly made of bricks in the courtyard style. The courtyard (Sihe Yuan) in Beijing is a representative. For houses in Northeast China, the style is almost the same as that in North China except for the walls. As Northeastern China is extremely cold, walls are built thicker and more solid than those of other places to retain warmth. However, in southern China, the Han people build their houses mainly of timber. The unique style of their buildings can be admired in the earthen buildings (tulou) in Fujian and pavilions in Suzhou.
All the houses of Han are suggested to be positioned in the north facing south to catch the maximum sunlight.
Festivals:
Festivals of Han Chinese are rich and colorful. The most important of these are the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-autumn Festival. Please refer to the Traditional Chinese Festivals to see detailed information about these festivals of Han ethnic group.
Zhuang Nationality
With a population of about 16,178,811, the Zhuang ethnic minority is the largest minority group in China with a long history and glorious culture. Over 90 percent of the Zhuang people live in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The rest of the Zhuang people reside in Yunnan, Guangdong, Guizhou and Hunan Provinces.Language and Character:
The Zhuang ethnic minority has a language of its own that belongs to the Zhuang-Dai branch of Zhuang-Dong Austronesian (an austronesian belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family of languages). The language is divided into two dialects although they have few differences.
Chinese characters were used before 1955 for writing, however since 1957, a writing system based on the Latin alphabet has been created with the help of the Chinese government. The Latin alphabet has been adopted to publish many books. Since then, the Zhuang ethnic minority has had their own language. In the year of 1982, the Zhuang language was revised and has been greatly used among the Zhuang people.
Belief:
Since the ancient times, the Zhuang people have had numerous kinds of beliefs. They believe in the propagation, the totem, and their ancestors. Now, most of them are polytheists, believing the power of many inanimate things in nature, such as giant trees, high mountains, cavity, the earth, the sun, water and so on. Sacrifice activities are usually held because of their beliefs of being blessed by the divinity and to prevent all kinds of disasters.
Food and Food Culture:
The Zhuang people’s primary products are tropical and subtropical crops such as rice and corn due to the mild climate and abundant rainfall. The people eat all kinds of meat, including beef, mutton, pork and chicken, etc. The vegetables of their daily life are of various kinds. Poached and pickled vegetables are the favored ones.
The Zhuang people are so hospitable that any guests are honored by the whole village. Wine is a must when treating the guests. Guests are shown a unique way of drinking each others wine in the spoon by crossing each other’s arms. The elder person is shown respect by nobody eating before him or her.
Clothes:
The style of clothing that the Zhuang people wear differs according to different areas. There is little difference for the men’s wear, in comparison with the Han people’s style. The Zhuang women however, have numerous styles. For example, the women living in the northwest Guangxi usually wear the collarless, embroidered jackets buttoned to the left along with loose and wide trousers, or pleated skirts and embroidered belts. The women from the southwest Guangxi prefer collarless jackets buttoned to the left with black square headbands on the head and loose trousers. Most of them complement their outfits with silver ornaments.
Crafts:
Like some other ethnic group women, the Zhuang women are skilled at weaving and embroidering. These women have a great reputation for the distinctive designs of cotton woven yarn brocade they make in colorful velour. Zhuang brocade is renowned for its color, luster, durability and the wide range of use. Another skill such as dying with wax is also popular. You can appreciate the excellent skills used in handcrafting carpets, aprons, bed covers, waistbands, tablecloth and curtains as a beautiful purchase for homes all over the world. Now, Zhuang brocade is not only a wonderful handicraft favored by the people in China but also has won international fame and enjoys a large market both at home and abroad.
Festivals:
Besides sharing similar festivals with the Han, the Zhuang minority has its unique ones including: the Devil Festival, the Ox Soul Festival, and the Singing Festival.
The Devil Festival, held on July 14th of the lunar month, is regarded as an occasion second to the Spring Festival. The day before the Devil Festival, every family does a thorough house cleaning and makes special preparations of outfits used in the sacrifice. On that day, duck, pork and good wines along with some candies and fruits must be offered in order to show great respect to their ancestors.
The Ox Soul Festival held on April 8th of the lunar month is to celebrate the birthday of the king of oxen and to show their love and respect to the ox, therefore, each ox is relieved from their yokes and free from plowing. People give the ox a bath accompanied with beating drums. Parents of a family feed the ox with five-colored glutinous rice, while singing folksongs. It is a festival that represents their great hope for a good harvest.
The Singing Festival is a traditional occasion which was held before 1940 to visit graves of the ancestors. Now it has become a grand sentimental occasion using songs for their expression. On that day, after sacrificing Liu Sanjie (a Zhuang minority girl good at singing), the Zhuang people will sing to each other to challenge each other not only the song itself but also wit. Lyrics are usually improvisational and humorous that makes every one burst into laughter. It is also a perfect day for the young men to express their love to the girls by singing, so it is also reputed as the Valentine’s Day of the Zhuang ethnic minority.
Other Culture:
Other cultures such as frescoes and bronze drums are also of splendid fame.
The Zhuang minority’s frescoes carved on the steep cliffs are of extreme Zhuang characteristics. Figures, beasts and some other patterns carved 2,000 years ago will make everyone appreciate the image of the Zhuang’s ancestors and the superb technique.
The bronze drum used both in sacrifice and festivals, delivers a special culture of the Zhuang ethnic minority. On the top and sides of the drums, the sun, frogs, dragon, dancing women and other patterns are decorated. It is a great revelation of their worship to the sun and frog. Nowadays, the bronze drum has become an indispensable musical instrument for the festivals.
Hui Nationality
Distribution and population:
The Hui ethnic minority is descended from the Arabic and Persian merchants who came to China during the 7th century. With a population of 643,238, the majority of the group lives in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. However, there are Hui living in almost all the provinces and cities of China.
Belief:
Most of the Hui people are Muslim and there is typically a mosque in each community. The Imam led the religious activities and their sutra is Alcoran.
Language:
Chinese is the native language of the Hui for both the spoken and written language. In addition, they retain some of the Arabic and Persian words.
Customs:
Islamism has played a vital role in the development of the Hui ethnic minority. In fact, the religious thought has influenced them in all walks of life, ranging from etiquettes of living, dining, and marriage to funeral customs.
The living customs differ from the other ethnic groups. For example, marriage outside the Hui group is not encouraged. In the event a Hui wants to marry a non-Hui, the non-Hui youth must understand and respect the Hui culture as well as convert to Islamism, or the marriage will be denied. For the marriage feast, there are usually 8 to 12 dishes. The even number of dishes is important as it symbolizes that the new couple will be a pair permanently.
Funerals of Hui people are simple, but there are many taboos which must be avoided. For example, they do not wail, as that will be regarded as the complaint or hatred for the dead.
The Hui live a puritanical life. They do not like to joke nor do they describe things with food. Smoking, drinking and gambling are frowned upon and young people are not permitted to sit with the elder members of the group. Use of a fortune teller to predict the future is prohibited. The Hui also obey many rituals. For example, before meals, they must wash their hands with fluid water. Also, they avoid sitting or stepping on any threshold, for it is said Muharmmad used the threshold as his pillow.
Food and Food Culture:
The cuisine of the Hui is diverse and varies from region to region. If you visit the Hui people, you will be served a wide variety of distinctive food. Hui people living in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region prefer food with flour; in Gansu and Qinghai, they favor wheat, corn, barley, and potatoes. Gaiwan Tea contains not only with tea, but also many other nutritious ingredients such as longan, jujube, sesame, sugar candy, and medlar. Pigeons are considered a ‘divine bird’ that may be eaten only under certain circumstances. For example, a pigeon are fed to the sick as a tonic, but only after it is approved by the Imam. Hui are generally forbidden to eat the meat of pigs, dogs, horses, donkeys, mules as well as the blood of animals. Moreover, if people of other nationalities use a pot or dish to hold pork, then Hui people will not use or touch the dish.
Visiting guests receive infused tea and are served fruits or home-made cakes. All the family members will come to greet their guests, and, if the guest is from afar, he will be seen off even out of the Hui people’s village.
Festivals:
The primary Hui festivals are Lesser Bairam (Kaizhai Festival), Corban, and Shengji Festival.
During the entire ninth month of to the Hui calendar, men older than 12 and women older than 9 will fast, which means they cannot eat anything from sunrise to sunset. Lesser Bairam is celebrated on the first day of the tenth month and lasts three days. Relatives and friends are served choice beef and mutton, and fired cakes which are their favorite food.
Corban Festival is on the tenth day of the last month. The morning of the festival, they do not eat breakfast. After attending the mosque, they kill oxen and then share them with the poor families and relatives. Selling of the oxen is not permitted on this day.
Hua’er is a form of folklore among Hui people, especially prevalent in Ningxia, Gansu and Qinghai. During festivals and the sixth month of the year, there is a pageant and people sing joyfully for six days.
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A guttural male bellow bounced off the cavern walls as that wouldbe rapist fell back. Once she found it, she turned it toward his breath, met his lips with hers. She turned down the wide corridor that stretched past the arched entrance to the gardens. Lanthan slumped in the sand, one fist pounding dust as Arkir thrust into him again. She let herself smile, let herself fall into him with relief. That spell shouldnt have been so hard. Sitting up, she rubbed her hands. Hyle spread his legs to allow enough room for Eyrhaen to settle between his thighs. Maybe she should run and change. Eyrhaen took a deep breath, chiding herself not to be weak. Her lip curled, and she shoved at his chest. He stepped forward, and it was her turn to flinch away. Shed never thought to see that again, not aimed at her. What they had this moment was less, but also so much more. She barely heard Lanthans cry, somewhat felt his thrusts. None of the others had been carved to look like a reedy young tree. You can hardly have all the time in the world for me. He sat in the chair, watching her. His bold words cut through a world of insecurity. She freed her other hand so she could wrap both arms securely around his neck.