Minorities

=Minority Groups in China=

= = =Website Listing China's 55 Nationalities=
 * List the name of the minority in pinyin and Chinese characters
 * insert a map showing the group's location within China
 * list population
 * describe characteristics of the group you select in English



Population: 8,399,393

The Uyghur ethnic minority lives in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region. The Uyghur people have their own language and culture. Their language is related to the Turkic group of the Altaic phylum and has its own alphabet. Religiously, the Uyghur people have slowly transitioned to Islam over time. Today, Islam can be seen in their culture through their various grand festivals such as: the Corban Festival and Kaizhai Festival. From these festivities comes much singing and dancing for the the Uyghur people. Typically, festivals are celebrated with traditional folk dance. Poems and oral legends are also very popular among the Uyghur people. The Uyghur people are also known for their expert craftsmanship. They have renowned skill in processing gold, gem, silk, and leather. Their clothing is mainly composed of cotton. Men will wear gowns, while women wear one-piece dresses. Women will also commonly wear ear rings, bracelets, and necklaces with embroidered caps. Their signature food is called Nang. It is comprised of a crisp, baked pie and is eaten with tea. When eating, the eldest people sit in the distinguished seats. Leaving small amounts of food in bowls is considered disrespectful.

Manchu 满族 3 2 - Oscar
== Population: 10,430,000

The Manchu population live in the North-eastern side of China, with around half of their population located in Liaoning province. The other half live in province such as Jilin, Heilongjiang, Hebei, and Inner Mongolia. The Yuan Dynasty was conquered by around 120,000 Manchu people to start the Qing Dynasty, which lasted for 268 years (1644-1912). During their time, they expanded China into Xinjiang and Taiwan. However, the fall of the Qing Dynasty was rough such as where the Han believed the Manchus had the same interests as the Europeans causing problems such as the Tai-Ping rebellion. Although the Manchus have their own language and scripts, over time the Manchu people have lost the language. However, Chinese government have deployed schools that help keep the Manchu language. When the Manchus were wealthy, they had a banner men system that gave Manchu soldiers land and money in locations while still living with their families. However they are now mostly agricultural workers. They also used to believe in shamanism until Bhuddism took over. Despite conflicts between the Manchu and Han during the Qing dynasty, currently the Manchu have a good relation with the Chinese government.


 * Tibetan Zang ****藏** - Mao



Population: 5,416,021 in 2000

Tibetans mainly reside in the Tibet Autonomous Region (on the Tibetan plateau), but some also reside in Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces. Tibetan as a language belonging to Tibetan-Burman group of the Sino-Tibetan language family, and is divided into three (spoken and written) dialects. Their religions stems originally from the Indian Mahayana form of Buddhism, but over time have gradually evolved into distinctive Tibetan Buddhism, or Lamaism. Tibetans also portray a very unique lifestyle and culture. Some of the arts they boast of are Tibetan calligraphy, Tibetan song and dance, picture making (painting), and the masked Tibetan opera. Tibetan medicine, which is steeped in Eastern healing techniques and acupuncture, is also prevalent within the region. The Zang people’s staple foods are tsamba, yak butter tea, mutton, and beef.

Yi - Alexandria yi zu 彝族
- - Yi has a population of 7,762,286 - The massive population is spread over several provinces such as Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and Guangxi Zhang Autonomous Region (typically through Southern China) - The Chinese ethnic minority is scattered throughout high mountains and altitudes or through flat land and valleys, and these differences in altitude reflect in their different living styles depending on location. The areas are usually rich in natural resources such as water power, coal, iron, and are one of China's biggest producers of non-ferrous metals. The Yi have their own language, both speaking and written, and has 6 dialects. They used to have a syllabic script formed in the 13th century, containing around 10,000 characters, and 1,000 of those are used in daily language. Wine plays an important role in traditions of the Yi, as wine is served in a big bowl for a circle of people and no one can leave until one sip at a time, the bowl is finished off. Another tradition of the Yi ethnic group is the torch festival, which falls on the 24th of every 6th month of the Chinese calendar. The celebration, lasts for 3 days, and was created to imitate the way the ancestors worshiped fire for protection.

Mongolia, a nation bordered by China and Russia, is known for vast, rugged expanses and nomadic culture. Population is roughly 2.839 million. Its capital Ulaanbataar is around the Chingkiskan square. Religiously, Mongol was heavily influenced by Tengrism which still shows up in mythology. Then, later on, Tibetan Buddhism became a ritualistic religion. Mongolia also has a festival called Nadaan festival. It is the biggest festival that helds each year on July 11-13 in Ulaanbataar. There are horse racing, wrestling, and archery competitions to celebrate such big festival. Mongolia also has one of the oldest musical traditions: throat singings, string instruments, and unique melodies made with pentatonic singings and long end notes.
 * Mongolian - Tony**

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