General Introduction

Located on the world's east horizon is the People's Republic of China, a nation that is both ancient and young.

China is a multi-ethnic country with a population of 1.2 billion made up of 56 ethnic groups on an area of 960 square kilometers. The Han nationality comprises 91 percent of China's population. The other 55 nationalities - including the Hui, Miao, Mongolian, Tibetan, Uygur, and Zhuang - which make up the other 9 percent are called the minority nationalities. Although the 55 nationalities are small in size, they are scattered over 64 percent of the country.

Most of the Han nationality lives around the Yellow River, the Yangtze River, the middle and lower reaches of the Pearl River, and the Songliao Plain as well as other areas in the north and southeast. The other nationalities are dispersed over the vast regions of the plateau and prairie in the north and southwest.

The 55 nationalities live in many famous places with poetic names. There are "The finest mountains and waters under heaven" of Guilin in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, "The Yellow Fruit Tree Waterfall" where the Guizhou Bouyei live, and "The stone forest wonder under heaven" in the Yi area. Xishuangbanna of the Dai is famous the world over for being "the Home of the Peacock." Dayao Mountains, home of the Yao, has beautiful green hills and magnificent flowing waters. Ali Mountain, inhabited by the Taiwan Gaoshan, is awe inspiring with its three wonders: the pine scented forest, the sea of clouds, and the majestic sunrise. Sun Moon Lake, in which the sun and moon are reflected, is called Taiwan's masterpiece. Other famous sights in China include the ancient paths and watchtowers in the Qiang area, the grand prairie of Inner Mongolia, and the snowy mountains and lakes of Tibet. olcanoes and the Caves of a Thousand Buddhas, as well as the grape valley, are all located in Xinjiang. There are also the Changbai Mountains of the Yanbian (Koreans) and Wuzhi Mountain on Hainan Island, home of the Li.

There are many Chinese ethnic architectural styles. Some are portable, adapted to nomadic life. In the tropics, they are dry, cool and ventilated.In the north, they are solid and well insulated. Many excellent examples are national treasures, such as the Forbidden City in Beijing, the Potala Palace in Tibet, the DrumTower of the Dong people, the Three Pagodas of the Chongsheng Temple of the Bai, the Dai temples, and the Islamic mosques.

Clothing also reflects their differences. Agricultural minorities usually wear cotton and silk. Those living on animal husbandry and livestock raising mainly wear fur. Fishermen make their clothes out of fish skins, while herdsmen use leopard skins.

The northern minorities wear long, heavy robes because of the cold climate, whereas the southern minorities wear short, light clothes because of the humidity and rain. Mongolians and Tibetans wear robes, the Dai wear tube shaped skirts, the Miao wear pleated skirts, and the Yanbian Koreans wear long skirts. The women of all nationalities are skilled in embroidery and use it to decorate their clothing. The cotton handicrafts also have unique features. Some nationalities like to wear hats. Prime examples include the Hui white skull cap, the Uygur four cornered hat, the Tatar black and white embroidered hat, the Tu cottonª²felt hat, and the Yugur red tassel hat. Many of the women wear colorful handkerchiefs, scarves, flowers and feathers to make themselves more charming.

The diet also varies. Many dishes are spicy or sour. Northern minorities who raise livestock eat meat and dairy products. Prime examples are the Mongolian stewed mutton and cheese and the Kazak hand eaten rice and sausage. Those living in the south use rice and rice powder. The Dai, Li and Va eat rice cooked in a bamboo tube. For the Dong and Zhuang, glutinous rice is the main staple. Other specialties include the Hui powder cake, the Uygur mutton kebab, the Mongolian roast ox, and Korean pickles and cold noodles. Even tea - China's national beverage - is served in different ways. There is milk tea, buttered tea, three course tea and other mixtures.

53 of the 56 nationalities have their own languages. Twenty one still use their own writing systems. There are thousand year old pictographs, such as the Naxi Dongba characters; the syllabary of the Yi; and the alphabets, of the Mongolians, the Tibetans, the Uygurs, and the Dai.

Most of the nationalities have their own religious beliefs. They range from different forms of Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Orthodox Eastern, and Taoism to nature worship, Totemism, and pantheism. The spread and development of these religions reflect a rich source of spirituality of which the country is proud.

Traditional festivals, marriages, and funerals still survive. Festivals are usually associated with myths and legends. Important times are the March Third Festival of the Zhuang, the March Fair of the Bai, the Torch Festival of the Yi, the Dragon Boat Festival of the Miao, the Lesser Bairam and the Corban of the Islamic minorities, the Nadam of the Mongolians, and the Tibetan New Year and OngkorFestival.

The nationalities have a proud heritage of song and dance. Some famous songs are the Mongolian "Song of Praise," the Zhuang "Antiphonal Singing," the Yao "Xiangli Song," the Dong "Drum Tower Chorus," and the Hui "Flower." Dances include "the Lusheng Dance" of the Yi, Miao, and Dong minorities, the Korean "Long Drum Dance," the Dai "Peacock Dance," the Tibetan "Tap Dance," the Va "Wood Drum Dance," the Tu "Hand Waving Dance," and the Uygur "Hand Drum Dance." The minorities sing and dance joyfully, especially during festivals. All of them have developed a body of folk song and literature. The epics, such as the Kirghiz Manass, the Mongolian Jianggar, and the Tibetan Gesar have remained popular and have influence both at home and abroad. The scientific and technological culture for various minorities is considerably advanced as well. Some have reached high levels of expertise in the fields of medicine, water conservancy, textiles, architecture, astronomy, calendar devising, military science, crop science, and biology.

In the past tens of hundreds of years, all nationalities of China have lived and developed in different areas, thus creating different lifestyles and traditions. From generation to generation, all of them have preserved their own characteristics in the life and work that have formed their customs. Despite their many cultural differences, they are all Chinese and live together in this great land. This is a colorful portrait of the 56 peoples that compose the great People's Republic of China.