Ethnic Minorities

Ethnic Minorities in China

China has 56 ethnic Minorities and has been a unified multi-ethnic country since ancient times. In the long period of historical development, ethnic minorities have formed their own unique and distinctive cultures and customs. Among them, some customs and habits have gone beyond national boundaries and become an important part of Chinese culture.

China is not a homogeneous nation. According to China’s 2000 Population Census data, 91.59 percent (1,159. 4 million) of its 1.295 billion people were identified as ethnic Han, while the remaining 8.41 percent (106.43 million) were comprised of "various national minorities.”

Officially, there are fifty-five ethnic minority groups residing within the Chinese territory. According to China’s census data, of the 55 ethnic minorities, only eighteen exceed one million in population, fifteen between 100,000 and one million, and the rest twenty-two below a hundred thousand.

The population of ethnic minorities is mainly distributed in the vast areas along the Chinese borders, including Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Tibet in the southwest, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, and Xinjiang in the north and northwest. These areas account for over 50 percent of China’s total land area of 9.6 million square kilometers.

Linguistically, only the people of Hui and Manchu speak and use Putonghua, or Mandarin, as their own language. Other minorities have their own distinct spoken languages, and some of them have their own writing systems. In inter-ethnic communication, Putonghua is often employed as the lingua franca.

China’s ethnic minorities have a variety of religious beliefs. For example, Tibetans, Mongols and Yugu believe in Tibetan Buddhism. Ten minorities in northern and northwestern China, including Hui, Hasake, and Uyghur, believe in Islam. Other religions practiced by the minorities include Eastern Orthodox and Protestantism.

In areas and regions with a high concentration of distinct ethnic minority populations, a system of self-governance is implemented to allow the minority group to administer local affairs under the guidance of the Central Government. Across the country, there are 155 national autonomous areas, including five autonomous regions, 30 autonomous prefectures, and 120 autonomous counties.

General History of Ethnic Minorities

Since the dawn of time, China’s immense land area has been populated by several diverse tribes. Across the Chinese history, migrations, conflicts, separations, and fusion of cultures have never stopped. The Han people were among the first people to settle down and develop an agrarian society. As their culture flourished, they developed more contempt for the minority hunters and gatherers that lived just beyond the horizon. Even if the modern concept of 56 ethnic groups is often considered an arbitrary and conservative summary of the hundreds of different peoples in China, it is much more detailed in comparison to the simplicity with which the ancient Han people distinguished their nomadic neighbors. Because the ancient Han people believed that they lived in the Center of the World, therefore they referred to ethnic minorities only based on the direction of their home. Non-Han were called “Di” (northern) 北狄, “Rong” (west) 西戎, “Yi” (east) 东夷 and “Man” (south) 南蛮.

As the Han prospered, they became the envy of the horsemen in the north. Over a 2,000 year period, waves of invaders breached the Great Wall and poured into the Chinese heartland. The Huns (匈奴), the Mongols, and Manchurians were all invaders once. Unlike the barbarian invasions of Rome characterized by plunder and destruction, these peoples admired what they saw, prompting them to stay and assimilate. At the same time, some Han people moved southward in order to avoid the invasions or simply to seek a better life as burgeoning populations strained resources. And in the south, they met with an enormous diversity of cultures. Some of them were forced to move further south; others stayed and assimilated. No matter how the story is, one enduring theme of Chinese history remains the stability of Han Chinese Culture.

In 1911, the last Imperial Dynasty, established 300 years ago by the Man-chu the minority was unseated by the Nationalist Party of Sun Yat-sen. Dr. Sun himself saw China as a “Republic of Five Nationalities,” although, after his death, the Nationalists denied the existence of ethnic minorities. However, after the Communist Party of China came to power in 1949, the government made an earnest effort to investigate and categorize minorities. Although over 400 minority groups answered a call to register, studies found that there was a lot of overlapping. A huge number of groups that claimed to be separate from certain ethnic groups were in fact only under different names. After 4 years of detailed research and fieldwork, 54 ethnic groups were officially recognized as independent nationalities. A 55th ethnic minority was added in 1979.

Minority Names

Here are the names of China’s fifty-five ethnic minority groups: Mongol (蒙古), Hui (回), Zang (Tibetan) (藏), Uyghur (维吾尔), Miao (苗), Yi (彝), Zhuang (壮), Buyi (布依), Chaoxian (Korean) (朝鲜), Man (Manchu) (满), Dong (侗), Yao (瑶), Bai (白), Tujia (土家), Hani (哈尼), Hasake (Kazakh) (哈萨克), Dal (傣), Li (黎), Lisu (傈僳), Wa (佤), She (畲), Gaoshan (高山), Lahu (拉祜), Shui (水), Dongxiang (东乡), Naxi (纳西), Jingpo (景颇), Kerkezi (Kirgiz) (柯尔克孜), Tu (土), Dawor (Dahur) ( 达斡尔), Mulao (仫佬), Qiang (羌), Bulang (布朗), Sala (撒拉), Maonan (毛南), Gelao (Gelo) (仡佬), Xibo (锡伯), Achang (阿昌), Pumi (普米), Tgike (Tajik) (塔吉克), Nu (怒), Uzibieke (乌孜别克), Eluosi (Russian) (俄罗斯), Ewenke (Owenk) (鄂温克), De’ang (德昂), Bao’an (保安), Yugu (裕同), Jing (京), Tatar (塔塔尔), Dulong (独龙), ElunChun (鄂伦春), Heze (赫哲), Menba (门巴), Luoba (珞巴) and Juno (基诺).

The names of nationalities reveal information about their economic and cultural life.

The Lahu (拉祜) nationality is an example. In their language, Lahu means “roasting tiger-meat on a fire.” From this fact, it can be understood that the Lahu people used to live by hunting. Their neighbors, the Dai(傣) and the Ha-ni (哈尼族), call themselves Mushe, which means “the hunters.”

Then there are the Oroqens (咢伦春族), a small ethnic group living in the Great and Lesser Xing’ a Mountains in northeastern China. They call themselves Oroqens, which has two meanings: “people who herd tamed deer” and "people who live in the mountains.” It can be concluded that the Oroqen people have a tradition of herding tamed deer and hunting in the mountains.

There is a small ethnic group also living in northeast China who call themselves the Daur(达斡尔), meaning “cultivator.” The Daurs have been an agricultural people since ancient times.

Some other ethnic groups are named after their customs or costumes. Xibo (锡伯族) is the name used by the Xibos themselves. It means “leather belt” or “hooked belt.” The reason is obvious; The Xibos liked to wear a hooked leather belt.

The Yi (彝族) people who live in southwest China like to wear black clothes, so they call themselves Nice, meaning “black people.” But the Bai people have a preference for white, so they call themselves Baini, or white people.

And then there is the Uygur, which means “alliance and unity.”

Clearly, names in many cases relate to the value and activities of the nationality. At times, the names also indicate their natural and geographical conditions or living conditions. Ewenki (鄂温克族) means “the people living in the mountain forests.” Another example of this is the Maonan (毛南族) people. In this case, they were given the name because the area they lived in was called Maonan.

9 Ethnic Minorities Festivals

China has 55 ethnic groups, and each of them has their own unique festivals. Below are some of the most famous festivals.

1. Nadam Fair (那达慕大会) of the Mongol

Date: Every year between July and August

Place: Inner Mongolia

Activities: Archery, horse racing, wrestling, and so on.

In Mongolian, Nadam means “recreation or game,” The festival is a traditional gathering of the Mongolian people in Inner Mongolia. It is held once a year in July or August when the pastures are at their greenest. It usually lasts between three and ten days. At this festival, people participate in horse racing, wrestling, archery, and other competitions as well as theatrical performances. Agricultural products, by-products, native products, and animal products from different prefectures are exchanged at the fair.

During the festival, tourists may participate in horse racing, archery, local wedding ceremonies, a memorial ceremony at the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan, or enjoy an imperial banquet of the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368). In addition, tourists can learn about Mongolian customs and visit the hot spring forest.

2. The Torch Festival (火把节) of the Yi Ethnic Group in Liangshan (凉山)

Date: July 23rd-28th

Place: Sichuan Province

Activities: Bullfighting, horse racing, cockfighting, sheep fighting, singing contests, a Yi ethnic group beauty contest, wrestling, local-style dance contest, a torch parade and bonfire party.

3. Tibetan Shoton Festival (雪顿节)

Date: August (from the end of the sixth month to the early part of the eighth month of the Tibetan calendar)

Place: Lhasa, Tibet

Activities: The Shoton Festival is also known as the Yogurt Banquet Festival (酸奶节). It is one of the grandest festivals in Tibet. During the festival, traditional Tibetan operas will be performed, and fairs with various materials will be held.

4. Water-Splashing Festival (泼水节)

Date: New Year’s Day on the Dai calendar is usually in the middle of April.

Place: Yunnan province

Activities: The festival of the Dai people usually lasts for 3 to 5 days. Ceremonies are held for people to pray in Buddhist temples and clean the dust off Buddhist statues. In addition, a Peacock dance is performed; dragon-boat racing and other sports competitions are organized, and people sprinkle water on each other as an expression of good wishes.

5. Tibetan New Year (藏历新年)

Date: January 1st on the Tibetan calendar

Place: Tibet

Activities: Special ceremonies are held on the day. On the eve of the festival, every household will paint lucky signs with wheat flour on kitchen walls and gates. The resin is burned on the roof, while painted seedlings of cereal crops and ears of wheat are displayed in the house. The first day of the festival is for a family reunion. On the second day, people will go to call on their relatives and friends. The festival is also observed with wrestling, horse racing, archery, and other sports competitions. Grand groups dancing and Tibetan operas are performed.

6. The Great Prayer Festival (祈愿大法会)

Date: January 8th through to the 14th of the Tibetan calendar

Place: The Jokhang Temple (大昭寺), Lhasa

Activities: It is the grandest religious festival in Tibet. Thousands of monks far and near will gather for prayers, theological debates and examinations are taken for Geshe (格西), a doctoral degree in Buddhist theology. At the lamasery, pilgrims from everywhere listening to the sermons.

7. Noroz (Nero) Festival (纳吾鲁孜节)

Date: Around March 22nd.

Place: Xinjiang (新疆)

Activities: The festival is held among the Kazak ethnic group. As an interesting activity at the festival, a game called girl chasing is held. While riding from the start point to the end on horseback, boys can play jokes with girls or even confide their love. Girls shall not get sulky while on the way back when girls on horseback chase after boys. If a girl catches up with a boy, she whips him, while he is not allowed to fight back if the girl likes the boy, she will wave her whip in the air.

8. Horse Race Festival in Qiangtang (羌塘赛马节)

Date: The last 10 days of August (between the end of the seventh month and the early part of the eighth month according to the Tibetan calendar)

Place: Nakchu Prefecture (那曲镇), Tibet

Activities: Horse races, archery shooting races, horsemanship performances and material exchange activities will be held.

9. Knife-Pole Festival (刀杆节)

Date: February 8th on the lunar calendar, usually in March.

Place: Yunnan province

Activities: It is a traditional festival of the Lisu ethnic group. On the eve of the festival, usually, brave warriors will dance and jump in the fire barefooted. A fascinating activity during the festival is to climb up 20-meter- high poles inserted with 36 or 72 sharp knives. Performers will have to climb barefooted in a thrilling act.

10. The Butter Lamp Festival (穌油花灯节)

Date: January 15th on the Tibetan calendar

Place; The Jokhang Temple, Lhasa

Activities: Unique butter lamp exhibition and night-long singing and dancing.

Special Dishes of Ethnic Minorities

As a country with a vast land area and a large population, China boasts 55 ethnic minorities. In the regions where ethnic minorities live in a compact community, there are rich and unique ethnic catering cultures, which reflect the characteristics of each ethnic minority. In the Chinese culinary culture, ethnic minority cuisine enjoys a high prestige with their unique cooking techniques and famous dishes.

1. Zhuang Dishes

The Zhuang has the largest population of China’s ethnic minorities. The Zhuang people are good at preparing various dishes, which have special Zhuang flavors. During festivals and celebrations, various kinds of ethnic dishes are prepared, including Torch Pork, Zijiang Hare Meat, and Fried Pseudo-Ginseng, etc.

2. Uygur Dishes

Uygur people believe in Islam and have many taboos. As for food, they are forbidden to eat pork, donkey and mule meat, dog meat, the blood of various kinds of animals and the meat of animals that died of illness. Wheat, corn, and rice are their staple food. Their daily food includes nang (a kind of crusty pancake), rice cooked with mutton, carrots, and raisins and eaten with fingers, tea with milk, kebabs, steamed buns with stuffing and thin skin, melons and fruits.

3. Mongolian Dishes

The staple foods of the Mongolian people include flour, rice, meat, and milk products. They also have snacks made of butter and meat which are eaten barehanded.

4. Manchu Dishes

The Manchu people follow similar customs with the Han. In the past, the Manchu people liked to eat millets, glutinous millet rice, and buns. Their unique foods include boiled pork, hot pork, and Saqima (a kind of candied fritter). The Manchu people love to eat boiled, steamed and instant-boiled meat, and various kinds of chafing dishes. They are forbidden to eat dog meat.

5. Bai Dishes

The Bai people are good at making salted ham, sausage, fish, fried pork liver, oily chicken and snail sauce. Bai women excel in preparing preserved fruits, such as candied plums. The Bai people are especially hospitable. Whenever a guest comes, he or she will be invited to take the seat of honor. The host will offer him or her tea, eight bowls of dishes and three plates of fruits.

6. Tibetan Dishes

Located on the plateau, Tibet has many scenic spots. Thanks to the accumulations over the past several thousand years, the Tibetan people have formed their unique customs and catering culture. The most famous Tibetan dishes are Fried Walnuts and Fresh Mushroom, Fried Lamb Chop, Tibetan Meatballs, Roast Whole Sheep, Stewed Mushrooms, and Mutton, etc.

7. Vegetarian Dishes

The Chinese people have a tradition of eating dishes prepared with seasonal vegetables, bean products, edible funguses, and fruits. Vegetarian dishes are light, delicious and refreshing. Some of them look as if they were made of meat.

Many vegetarian restaurants are good at preparing bean products and imitated meat dishes using vegetables. Temples in many famous mountains are known for their vegetarian dishes, such as Mount Emei in Sichuan, Jiuhua Mountain in Anhui, Putuo Mountain in Zhejiang, Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai, Baoguang Temple in Chengdu, Guinan Temple in Wuhan, South Putuo Mountain in Xiamen, Darning Temple in Yangzhou and Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou. The most famous vegetarian restaurants in China are Shanghai Gongdelin, Bejing Quansuzhai, Guangzhou Caigenxiang, Hangzhou Daudelin and Nanjing Luliiyu.

Famous vegetarian dishes include Ham, Fried Kidney, Sour Yellow Croaker, Thick Soup of Osmanthus Flowers and chestnuts, Braised Bamboo Shoots with - Distillers’ Grains, Fried Mushrooms and White Gourd, Shark’s Fin, Chicken, Duck, Sweet and Sour Fish, Crab Meat, Sea Cucumber, and Wensi Bean Curd, which are all made of bean products and vegetables.

8. Islamic Dishes

The Hui people believe in Islam and excel in preparing beef, mutton and fowl dishes. The Huis like drinking tea, and mainly eat food prepared with flour. Famous Hui dishes include Roast Whole Sheep, Hot Pot, and Roast Mutton, and some local dishes such as hand-pulled wide noodles, cakes made of mixed flour, steamed twisted rolls, deep-fried flour dough twists, etc. Famous Islamic restaurants include Donglaishun Restaurant in Beijing and Islamic Ma Xiangxing Restaurant.

Islamic snacks of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, which originated from Islamic dishes, mainly appear in northwest China. Due to the constant absorption of the quintessence of other culinary cultures, Ningxia Islamic snacks have become an important part of Chinese snacks.

9. Ningxia Islamic Snacks

Noodles with Wild Mushrooms from Helan Mountain is a famous Ningxia Islamic Snack, popular in Yinchuan City at the eastern foot of Helan Mountain. Noodles are prepared with wild mushrooms grown in the forests of Helan Mountain, hence the name. The noodles are smooth and refreshing with mushroom fragrance.

Mutton Eaten with Fingers

Mutton eaten with fingers is a famous traditional snack. Almost all places in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region can prepare such mutton. Wuzhong City has a history of nearly 100 years of producing this snack. Hence it is also known as Wuzhong mutton eaten with fingers. In the past stalls by the street sold mutton, and customers picked up and ate it with fingers. Though now customers no longer eat mutton with fingers, this snack is still called Mutton Eaten with Fingers.

Guozi

Guozi is a famous flour food, which is very popular in Wuzhong, Yin Chuan, and Tongxin. In traditional festivals and when entertaining friends and guests, Guozi is served.

Daba Dough Twist

Daba dough twist is a popular flour food prepared by the people of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. They serve friends with this food at traditional festivals or honored guests when they come. Usually, when tasting dough twists, guests are also served with tea, full of local ethnic flavor.

Fried Huahua (flour dough twists)

Fried Huahua is also a popular snack in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Fried Huahua made by Yinchuan City is the most famous. It is elegant in shape and is soft and crispy. This food is often served at banquets.

Diet Taboos of Some Ethnic Minorities

Every people in the world has its unique customs, habits, and diet taboos. It is also true of the 55 ethnic minorities in China. In the course of their history, these ethnic minorities developed their own way of life. In the meantime, they gradually believe that they should not put certain things on the menu. For those who want to visit scenic spots where there are ethnic minorities, it necessary to understand the diet taboos of ethnic minorities.

The Hui people

The Hui people are prohibited from eating pork and dog, donkey and mule meat, the meat of all kinds of birds and beasts that prey on meat, animals’ blood and naturally dead animals. Also, it is forbidden to drink wine. All the oxen, sheep, chicken and animals must be slaughtered by imams. (All the ethnic minority people believing in Islam must abide by these taboos.)

The Mongolian people

The Mongolian people are very hospitable. They often entertain guests with milk products (white food) and beef and mutter (red food). Generally, the Mongolian people don’t eat horse meat. The meat served at the dinner table is usually cut in large pieces with bones, and the host would slice the meat according to the rule and distribute the meat to the guests, the old and the young at the table. The Mongolians pay much attention to the old and the young.

The Uygur people

The Uygur people are prohibited from eating pork, donkey and dog meat, the meat of naturally dead animals, the meat of fierce birds and beasts and the blood of animals.

The Zhuang people

The Zhuang people are prohibited from eating the meat of dogs, cattle, and snakes. Taking them back home is also forbidden.

The Tibetan people

The Tibetan people don’t fill their mouths with food when eating, nor make a noise when chewing food and drinking soup. And they don’t pick up food from a plate across another plate. When the host presents a cup of tea to a guest, the guest must wait until the teacup is lifted in front of his face. The Tibetan people in Qinghai only eat the meat of even-toed mammals. The sheep’s tail is the best food to entertain guests because the Tibetan people maintain that “white” is a symbol of good luck.

The Manchu people

The Manchu people are prohibited from eating dog meat and crows. Only the male host and old people of the family eat at the same table with guests. The members of the younger generations, daughters-in-law, and girls are not allowed to seat with the guests.

The Dai people

The Dai people celebrate the “Open Door Festival” in October every year. During the festival, the Dai people are prohibited from eating oily and meat food. If one is sick, one is prohibited from eating beef, fermented soybeans, and sour bamboo shoots.

The Tujia people

The Tujia people are prohibited from holding a bowl to eat behind a person because they believe that it will bring bad luck to the person.

The Miao men and women

The Miao men and women sit at different tables when entertaining a guest. When a chicken is served, the old people eat the chicken’s liver, tripe and head; children, chicken legs; and the guests, chicken wings. In West Hunan, paying a visit to a family when they are having a dinner on the New Year eve is a taboo, because the Miao people believe that the dinner on the New Year’s eve symbolizes family reunion and it is very sacred. The guest visiting at this moment will disturb their peaceful life in the coming year.

The Kazak people

The Kazak people are prohibited from eating pork, the blood of animals and naturally dead animals. Usually, guests sit on the left side of the table, and the host on the right side.

The Hani people

For the Hani people, it is customary that only Hani men sit at the same table as the guests. It is a taboo to borrow tools from a family with a lying-in woman.

The Li people

The Li people entertain male guests with wine first, and female guests with food first. At the dinner table, the host should not cross his chopsticks and place them on the bowl, which is thought unrespectable to the guests; and the host should not put the chopsticks upside down in the bowl, which means cursing the guests. After finishing eating, the guests should washbowls and chopsticks by themselves and put them back to the original place. In some places, the host does not eat at the same table with guests.

The Yugu people

The Yugu people are prohibited from eating animals with sharp mouths and round hoofs, such as horses, donkeys, mules, chickens, dogs, fish, and wild goose. At a dinner table, the guests should neither stand up nor walk around.