The Manchu Nationality

The Manchu nationality presently has a population of 9,820,000, living mainly in Liaoning province with the rest found in provinces and cities such as Jilin, Heilongjiang, Hebei and Beijing. The Manchus have their own spoken and written language, but can generally communicate in Mandarin Chinese. They believe in Shamanism and Buddhism. The Manchu nationality is an ancient one mainly involved in agriculture. Those scattered in cities are mostly professionals in cultural education and industry. The Manchu nationality has an important place in Chinese history and has made great contributions to the unification and development of the country.

In the middle of the fifteenth century, the ancestors of the Manchus nationality settled down around the Suzi river valley at the upper reaches of the Hunhe River. Centering on the Jianzhou Tribe, they formed a new national community-the Manchus. Nurhaci, the founder of the Qing dynasty was a very important person who oversaw the transition from the Nuzhens to the Manchus. In the sixteenth century when the Manchu nationality became dominant, Liaoning had become the political, military, economical and cultural center of the Manchu nationality.

Liaoning province of China, which borders on the Yellow River and the Bohai Sea, has a long and winding coastline; the Liaohe Plain in the middle of the province is broad, level and fertile; to the northeast are smooth mountain ranges, each containing some precious deposits. More than two million Manchu people have lived here for many generations.

The houses the Manchus live in are called "pocket houses" or "dipper houses." They reflect the structure of the caves their ancestors used to live in. The Qingning Palace in the Shenyang Imperial Palace is a typical example of a pocket house.

The Manchus are fond of Huokang (an earthen bed that can be heated by fire). Every household has a Huokang facing the south. In the west there is also a narrow Kang, a shrine where they worship the souls of their ancestors. They also place the memorial tablets for their ancestors on the wall beside it. Windows of their houses are often covered with paper. A Youche (swinging cradle) is often hung on a beam of the house. There the newborn baby is laid to fall asleep listening to his mother humming a lullaby.

The costumes of the Manchus have several distinctive features: no collar, narrow sleeves, an opening on the left, four slits, and a tight waist. Nowadays, their costumes have changed: the narrow sleeves have become flared and four slits are two. By the 40s, men had altered their Qipao into long straight robes with broad fronts and large sleeves. The women had transformed their interior broad sleeves into narrow ones, and turned the straight gown into a close-fitting dress flared at the base with a rolled up hem reaching to the ankle. This traditional Manchu costume has become the most instantly recognized of all the national costumes and is fashionable all over the world.

The Manchus like to eat millet, dry steamed glutinous millet and Bobo (steamed bun) made of glutinous millet stewed vegetables and pickled vegetables. They always have dumplings on holidays, and on the eve of the lunar New Year, they must eat Shoubarou (mutton eaten with the fingers). Baizhurou (white boiled meat) and Bairouxuechang (a kind of haggis or blood pudding) are even more popular among the Manchu people. This is especially so on the cold winter days, when they are quickly boiled in water together with shredded pickles. As a result, the soup is fresh and the vegetables are crisp. It is a wonderful way to drive away the cold and bring cheer.

After the Manchus came south beyond the Great Wall, food made in the imperial kitchen of the Qing palace became to gain a particular court flavor. The materials, colors, shapes, flavors and names of the dishes were all given great attention and careful study. Various dishes of the Qing palace are still cooked in many big Chinese hotels today.

According to a traditional way of child breeding, a Manchu baby starts to sleep in the swinging cradle when he is one month old. The swinging cradle, which is made of thin planks, looks like a boat. It is tied to a beam of the house with four ropes. Rocking the cradle helps the child fall asleep. In order to make his posture straight and strong, he is tied in with a band which forces him to sleep on his back.

Qing emperor Shizu set up his capital in Beijing. When he took control of the central government of the country, he established a series of schools to train particular talents. The written form of the Manchu language was created in the late sixteenth century using the Mongolian script. Later, it added small circles and dots to the borrowed Mongolian letters, and so was called "Manchu script with circles and dots," or "new Manchu script." Since the Qing dynasty, large numbers of Manchus have moved to the Central Plains where they have assimilated the Han language.

The traditional sports of the Manchu nationality are rich and varied. The most common sport is "Zhuangchuhe," or pearl ball. The peasants often hold pearl ball matches on the playground during the slack seasons. For a match, each team is made up of six players. One player from each team holds a net and stands midway along the opponents' sideline with two defense players moving within the given area. The three attacking players can come into the away court to pass the ball or shoot at the net, trying to score a goal.

Nowadays, with enterprises in Manchu cities and towns growing rapidly, Manchu people in the northeastern three provinces-the birthplace of the Manchu nationality-begin to gain prosperity. With their life getting better and better and their educational level rising gradually, many Manchu intellectuals are making contributions in all trades and professions.