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%. These 56 distinctive ethnic groups
have all brushed their colors on the cultural landscape and painted a splendid
mosaic of China.
Gaoshan Ethnic Minority (高山族)
Gaoshan Ethnic Minority is an ethnic group mainly inhabiting
Taiwan and Fujian. Due to the difference in regions and languages, Gaoshan
ethnic Minority is also divided into 13 subgroups, including Amei, Taiya,
Paiwan, Lukai, Beinan, Caoren, Saixia and Dawu.
Gaoshan people regard the yearly Harvest Festival as the
grandest day. They play flutes and perform their unique dances, such as the
hair dance, the Pounding Rice dance or the hand-in-hand dance. Songs
and dances are very much a part of Gaoshan life. They have many ballads, fairy
tales, legends, odes to ancestors, hunting songs, dirges and work songs. Gaoshan
people like colorful, bright clothes and decorations. They wear flower crowns,
earrings, bracelets, and turbans. The most representative clothing is made with
strands of pearl beads.
See more on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0gu1iIIdMc
Tibetan Ethnic Minority (藏族)
The Tibetan ethnic
minority mostly lives in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Tibetans have produced vast
collections of first-class achievements in areas of astronomy, medicine,
literature, drama, painting, sculpture and architecture. Their architecture,
like the Potala Place, is
charming and brilliant.
Tibetans
are also good dancers and singers. Their dancing is beautiful with movements
executed either with the arms and waist or with legs and feet. They are famous
for the tap dance and masked Tibetan opera.
The
Tibetan New Year, the Great Prayer Festival and the Bathing Festival are
the most important festivals in Tibet.
Tibetans
welcome their guests with khata(a traditional ceremonial white scarf presented
to express great respect and wishes of good luck for the guests).Their staple foods are tsamba, yak butter tea, mutton,
and beef. As for drinks, they
enjoy Qingke Wine(Chang) and milk tea.
See more on:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaTpfzbLm48
Han Chinese (汉族)
The Han Chinese is an ethnic group native
to East Asia. They constitute approximately 92% of
the population of Mainland China.
The name Han comes from the Han dynasty, which succeeded the short-lived Qin dynasty.
The Han Chinese are famous for
their variety of performing arts, such as Kongfu, acrobatics, shadow shows,
traditional operas, folk music and dances. There are various regional styles of
Han folk music. The favorite instruments for folk musicians include guzheng,
erhu, sheng, xiao, dizi(flute) etc.
Han Chinese festivals are rich and colorful. The most important of these
are the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and the
Mid-autumn Festival. On
important occasions such as the New Year and wedding banquets, the most popular
traditional Chinese clothing worn by many women is called the qipao.
Han Chinese cuisine varies from Sichuan's famously spicy food to Guangdong's Dim Sum and fresh
seafood. They
like to entertain their honored guests with tea and alcoholic drinks.
See more on:
Dai Ethnic Minority (傣族)
The Dai ethnic group
lives in the southern part of Yunnan Province, mainly in the Xishuangbanna
region.
The
Water Splashing Festival is the new year of the Dai calendar, held between June
and July of the Dai calendar (in April of the Gregorian calendar) for three
days. People engage in traditional activities
such as water-splashing, dragon-boating, and elephant-foot-shaped
drum beating etc., hoping to pacify evil spirits
and ensure a good harvest in the coming year.
The Peacock Dance is a popular part of the Water-splashing
Festival. Xishuangbanna is the home of
the peacock, which the Dai people regard as a symbol of good fortune,
happiness, beauty and kindness. In the dance performers in clothes with peacock
patterns imitate peacocks with lively, flexible and graceful movements.
Their most special Dai
food is the rice in bamboo tube. It is very fragrant and delicious.
See more on:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89tk8vFuTMw
Uyghur Ethnic Minority
(维吾尔族)
The Uyghur
ethic minority lives mainly in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regions. Xinjiang is renowned for its Turpan grape and Hami
melon. The staple food is Nang, noodles and Zhuafan.
The
grand festivals celebrated include the Corban Festival, Kaizhai Festival, and
Almsgiving Festival. The Uyghur people particularly
enjoy dancing and singing. Festivities and wedding ceremonies are celebrated
with all guests joining in their traditional folk dance. Uygur folk dances are distinguished by head and
wrist movements. Their clever coordination is enhanced by the typical posture
of tilted head, thrust chest and erect waist. Slight shivering movements, fast
turns are characteristics of Uygur folk dances. Uyghur dances demonstrate diligence, bravery, openness and optimism. Vibrantly colored and embroidered caps
are an important component of their dress. The most prestigious and well-known
genre of Uyghur music is the Muqam.
Yi Ethnic Minority
(彝族)
The Yi
ethnic group is mainly distributed over the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan,
Guizhou, and Guangxi, usually in mountainous regions.
The Torch Festival is the grandest traditional
festival celebrated by Yin people, held on the 24th day of the lunar month of
June. Like most of the mountain inhabitant, the Yis worship fire. The Torch Festival lasts for three
days. Families assemble together and
hold rich and colorful activities. Wearing the traditional Yi clothes, they
enjoy themselves with wrestling, horse racing, bull fighting, tug-of-wars and
so on. When night comes, large bonfires are lit, with people sitting around,
singing and dancing for the whole night. Yi
people are born singers and dancers. To outsiders, their Taicai and Left Foot
Dance are most captivating and memorable.
Yi
women are quite adept at embroidery. We can appreciate their skills on their
beautiful waistbands, handkerchiefs, and hanging strips. There are a great many
Yi costumes with unique designs stemming from various places.
When
you visit a Yi village Milk cake and chicken are highly recommended. Rice wine
is the most popular drink of Yi people, just like tea to Han Chinese.
See more on:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IOEZE47aRY
