The province with the largest distribution of ethnic minorities in China is Yunnan Province.
Yunnan is the province with the largest variety of ethnic groups in China, and in addition to the Han Chinese, there are 25 hereditary ethnic groups with populations of more than 6,000. Of these (in descending order of population), 15 ethnic groups are endemic to Yunnan, all accounting for more than 80 percent of the country's total population of that ethnic group.?
At the end of 2015, the province's ethnic minority population numbered 15.833 million, accounting for 33.4 percent of the province's total population, making it one of the three provinces and regions in the country where the number of ethnic minority people exceeds 10 million.
There are six provinces with more than one million ethnic minority people; nine with more than 100,000 and less than one million; eight with more than 10,000 and less than 100,000; and two with more than 6,000 and less than 10,000. Yunnan's ethnic minorities are interspersed, manifesting themselves in large mixed settlements and small clusters, with the Yi and Hui ethnic groups distributed in most of the province's counties.
The following is an introduction to some of the ethnic groups in Yunnan Province:
1. Han Chinese
The Han Chinese in Yunnan have about 30,629,000 people, and are the main ethnic group in Yunnan, spreading all over the province. There are records of Han ancestors' activities in Yunnan during the pre-Qin period. During the Ming Dynasty, when the Tun Tian system was vigorously implemented in Yunnan starting from the Hongwu period, the Han population began to exceed the population of the hereditary ethnic minorities and became the main ethnic group in Yunnan.
On the whole, the immigrants at the end of the Yuan and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty came mainly from Shaanxi, Sichuan, Hubei, Jiangxi, and Nanjing. Yunnan Han dialects in general belong to the northern dialects. It is divided into four areas: central Yunnan, western Yunnan, northeastern Yunnan, and southern Yunnan. The Chinese dialects of the four areas maintain the ****similarities of the Chinese language, but also have their own distinctive features.
2. Yi People
There are about 5,028,000 Yi people in Yunnan, mainly located in Chuxiong Prefecture, Honghe Prefecture, Yuxi City, Dali Prefecture, Pu'er City and Kunming City. Yunnan is the province with the largest distribution of Yi tribes, and the main tribes are Nuosu, Nasu, Nesu, Luo Luo, Lalu, Sani, A fine, A Zhe, Ge Pu, Pu La, Lesu, Thalu, etc. The Yi language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language family. The Yi language belongs to the Yi branch of the Tibeto-Burman language family of the Sino-Tibetan language family, and there are 6 dialects and 25 kinds of native languages.
The Yi have their own national script, which is a kind of syllabic script of super-dialect. The ancestors of the Yi people have written many historical, religious, literary, astronomical and medical works in Yi script, and left a large number of engraved cliff carvings and golden stone inscriptions. It has created a solar calendar with 10 months for one year, and has the Book of Calendars, the Calendar of Twelve Beasts, the Solar Calendar, and other books in the Yi language.
The Yi language pharmacopoeia, Qi Su Shu, was written 12 years earlier than Li Shizhen's Herbal Compendium Day in the Ming Dynasty. Qu Huanzhang developed the famous "Yunnan White Pill" according to his ancestral secret recipe. The religion of the Yi people is a primitive religion, believing in the spirit of all things. The 24th or 25th day of the 6th lunar month of each year is the most common and grand festival of the Yi people, the Torch Festival.
3, Hani
Hani is one of the unique ethnic groups in Yunnan, with a population of about 1.63 million, mainly located in Honghe Prefecture, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Pu'er City and Yuxi City. The Hani language belongs to the Yi branch of the Tibeto-Burman language family of the Sino-Tibetan language family, and is internally divided into three dialects: Haya, Bika and Haobai. The Hani people have a whole set of systematic ecological ethical thinking, the core thrust of which is nature-centeredness.
The history of migration and rice terraces are the two foundations on which Hani culture sprang up, grew and was built. The Hani terraces in Yuanyang are also a provincial scenic spot. Hani festivals are of three types, the representative ones being "Zalet" (October Year), "Aungmadu" (sacrifice to the god of the village), and "Bitter Zaza" (June Festival), and so on.
4, Bai
The Bai are one of the unique ethnic groups in Yunnan, numbering about 1.561 million people, mainly in Dali Prefecture. The Bai language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family, and nearly 60% of their vocabulary is borrowed from the Chinese language, and most of them are fluent in Chinese. The Bai's economy is based on agriculture, with handicrafts and commerce more developed, and the level of production is basically the same as that of the surrounding Han Chinese.
Science, culture and art are at a high level, with their own characteristics and creations in metallurgy, architecture, medicine, historiography, literature, music, dance, opera, painting, carving, calendars, water conservancy and so on. Dali Chongsheng Temple Three Pagodas, "Nanzhao Zhongxing National History Scroll", Zhang Shengwen "Dali Scroll", Jianchuan Grottoes stone carvings and so on are famous in China and abroad.
Hospitality is usually entertained "eight bowls". To "three-way tea" is an important ritual of the Bai people, often used to receive VIPs. The Bai dwellings of "one square and one corridor", "two squares and one ear", "three squares and one wall", and "four and five patios" are unique. Unique features. The Bai people mainly believe in Buddhism and this nation's unique Lord God, there are also people who believe in Taoism and primitive religion.
5, Dai
The Dai are one of the unique ethnic groups in Yunnan, with a population of about 1.222 million, mainly located in Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Dehong Prefecture, Pu'er City and Lincang City. The Dai language belongs to the Zhuang-Dong branch of the Chinese-Tibetan language family. The Dai language is a kind of pinyin script, and the more common ones are now called Xishuangbanna Dai language and Dehong Dai language.
The Dai generally believe in Hinayana Buddhism (also known as Southern Theravada Buddhism), and also believe in primitive religions. The Open Door Festival and the Close Door Festival are two important religious festivals, held on September 15 (around July in the Gregorian calendar) and December 15 (around October in the Gregorian calendar) of the Dai calendar respectively.
The most important traditional annual festival is the Water Splashing Festival in the sixth month of the Dai calendar (around April of the Gregorian calendar), during which activities such as bathing in the Buddha's body, throwing bags, releasing high spirits, and racing dragon boats are held. The basic features of the Dai culture are: rice cultivation, good oar-making, metallurgical skills, textile and pottery making, dry-structure construction and tattooing. Rice culture is the core of Dai culture.
6, Zhuang
Yunnan Zhuang about 1.125 million people, mainly in Wenshan Prefecture, Honghe Prefecture and Qujing City. The Zhuang language belongs to the Zhuang-Dai branch of the Zhuang-Dong language family of the Sino-Tibetan language family. The Zhuang originated from the ancient Yue people in the south of China. In terms of living customs, the Zhuang people have retained the ancient Yue people's habit of "breaking their hair and tattooing their bodies".
The Zhuang have festivals with their own characteristics, such as sacrificing to the "Old Man's Hall", "Playing Wooden Troughs", celebrating small festivals, sacrificing to the dragon, and "Catching Flowers on the Street". "When young men and women dress up for the festival, the girls borrow embroidered balls to convey their love.
7, Miao
Yunnan Miao about 1.202 million people, mainly in Wenshan Prefecture, Honghe Prefecture and Zhaotong City. The Miao language belongs to the Miao branch of the Miao-Yao language family of the Sino-Tibetan language family. The earliest time the Miao moved into Yunnan was in the Tang Dynasty, and a large number of them moved in after the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The annual Huashan Festival is a traditional festival of the Miao people. On the day of the festival, the "Flower Pole Head" first toasts and blesses those who come to participate, then announces the start of the festival, and the gongs and drums sound in the Flower Hill field. In addition, there are the New Year Tasting Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival. Among the Miao, there are folk songs, love songs, legends, stories, proverbs and so on. The Lusheng Dance of the Miao is also very characteristic.
8, Hui
Yunnan Hui about 698,000 people, mainly in Kunming City, Dali Prefecture, Qujing City, Chuxiong Prefecture, Honghe Prefecture and Yuxi City, there are "large scattered, small concentration" and around the mosque "gathering and living". The Hui believe in Islam. The Hui believe in Islam, and there are three main festivals: Eid al-Fitr, Gurbon, and Sacred Discipline.
9, Lisu
Lisu is one of the unique ethnic groups in Yunnan, about 668,000 people, mainly in Nujiang, Diqing, Lijiang and Dali Prefecture. The Lisu language belongs to the Yi branch of the Tibetan-Burmese language family of the Sino-Tibetan language family, and there are two kinds of dialects: Nujiang dialect and Jinjiang dialect, and even the Lisu language of Burma, Thailand and India is also common. The Lisu people generally believe in primitive religion, but also believe in Christianity and Catholicism.
The Lisu people are rich in oral literature and art, and have their own folk songs, music and dances, which have been passed down in the form of narratives and songs. Ethnic sports have a long history and tradition, shooting crossbows and arrows is the Lisu people's strong point, with a shock, danger, strange, absolute and other characteristics. December 20 every year is the traditional festival "Cuoshi Festival", during the festival there are "jumping from the sea of fire, on the mountain of knives" and the body of the back of the skidding state "flying across the Nujiang River" stunt show.
10, Lahu
Lahu is one of the unique ethnic groups in Yunnan, with about 475,000 people, mainly in Pu'er, Lincang and Xishuangbanna Prefecture. The Lahu language belongs to the Yi branch of the Tibetan-Burmese language family of the Sino-Tibetan language family. Religious beliefs mainly include primitive religion, Mahayana Buddhism, Christianity, and Catholicism, with the belief in primitive religion being the most widespread.
Traditional festivals include Spring Festival, Torch Festival, Taste of the New Year Festival, Moon Festival, Ancestor Sacrifice Festival, Ching Ming Festival, February 8, Christmas Day, and Hand-washing Festival. Lahu folklore is the most widely circulated, with the creation of the nature of the famous long epic "Mupa Mipa" is a set of political, economic, cultural and historical Lahu culture in one of the "encyclopedia", is the Lahu folklore treasures.
The Lahu are a people who can sing and dance well, and there are many kinds of dances, most of which are square dances, which are usually guided by men playing musical instruments in the front, and the women dancing in the periphery.
11. Wa
The Wa is one of the unique ethnic groups in Yunnan, with a population of about 401,000 people, mainly in Lincang and Pu'er cities. The Wa language belongs to the Wa branch of the Mon-Khmer language family of the South Asian language family. The Wa believe in the primitive religion of the spirit of all things. They are good at using the stem and branch chronicles as the basis for taking names, offering sacrifices, traveling and doing business.
The Wa have created a rich and colorful oral literature, including myths, legends, poems, fables, ballads, proverbs, fairy tales, narrative poems and lyric poems. The legend of "Sigangli" tells the story of the original source of the Wa ancestors.
The main festivals of the Wa ethnic group include the Spring Festival, the New Rice Festival on the 14th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, the New Fire Festival on the 1st day of the 3rd month of the lunar calendar, the Sowing Festival in the 4th month of the lunar calendar, and the Building of New Houses, among which the New Rice Festival, the Sowing Festival and the Building of New Houses are the most solemn. Once upon a time, Wa people had to "plagiarize cattle" when building new houses, weddings and funerals.
12, Naxi
The Naxi is one of the unique ethnic groups in Yunnan, with about 310,000 people, mainly in Lijiang City and Diqing Prefecture. The Naxi language belongs to the Yi branch of the Tibeto-Burman language family of the Sino-Tibetan language family. The Naxi people have two kinds of writing, one is the ideographic pictograms, folk called "Sichu Luchu"; one is the phonetic syllabic writing, folk called "Geba Wen".
Naxi pictorial hieroglyphics in the international academic community has "the only complete retention of living hieroglyphics" reputation, there are still more than 20,000 volumes of the Naxi native religion - Dongba religion classics written in this hieroglyphic script, collected in China and Europe and the United States, libraries, museums. There are still more than 20,000 volumes of Naxi native religion - Dongba religion classics written in this hieroglyphic script, which are collected in libraries and museums in China, Europe and America. The Old Town of Dayan in Lijiang, a famous historical and cultural city in China, is a marvel in the history of Chinese architecture and has been awarded the title of "World Cultural Heritage" by the United Nations.
The Naxi people are a multi-religious people, believing in their native religion, Dongbaism, as well as Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism and Taoism. And created a blend of diverse cultural factors of various ethnic groups "Baisha murals", "Naxi ancient music" and other national art masterpieces. Historically, the Naxi copper, leather and other traditional handicrafts are more developed, the products are exported all over Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet.
The "Sanduo Festival" on the eighth day of the second month of the lunar calendar is the biggest festival of the Naxi people, who gather around the bonfire and dance the cheerful "Alili".
13, Yao
Yunnan Yao has about 220,000 people, mainly in Wenshan and Honghe Prefectures. There are four clans of Yunnan Yao, namely, Indigo Yao, Overhill Yao, Shan Yao and Jingdong Yao. The Yunnan Indigo Yao and the Overhill Yao have been using the square Yao script since the end of the Tang Dynasty. The Indigo Yao and the Overhill Yao all believe in Yao Taoism, or Yao Chuan Taoism.
The canonical books of Yao Taoism and Yao songs are known as "Yao documents", which are highly valued and regarded as the treasure house of Yao culture. In addition to the Panwang Festival on October 16th of the lunar calendar, the Yao people in Yunnan also have special festivals such as the Danu Festival of the Mountain Yao on March 29th of the lunar calendar, the Spring Festival, the Third of March, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Fourteenth of July, and so on.
Expanded Information:
Yunnan is a multi-ethnic province, with a rich and colorful language and script. The Han Chinese language in Yunnan belongs to the northern language family (Southwest Mandarin), while the languages of other ethnic groups belong to the Sino-Tibetan language family and the South Asian language family, and there are four main types of language use: mother-tongue type, bilingual type, multi-language type and mother-tongue transfer type.
Yunnan's various ethnic groups, in addition to the Hui, Manchu, Shui general Chinese, the rest have their own language, the use of national script **** 22 kinds. Among them, the Dai script and language has some historical affinity with Thailand. The Naxi have a long history of Dongba culture, and the Dongba script is a hieroglyphic script that has been passed down so far.
References:
Yunnan ? Baidu Encyclopedia