Ethnic Groups

Peoples of
Heritage

25 ethnic groups — each carrying distinct languages, crafts, rituals, and artistic traditions across millennia.

Han Chinese
Pop. 1.3B

Han Chinese

汉族

The largest ethnic group in China and the world, with a continuous civilization spanning over 5,000 years.

Zhuang
Pop. 16.0M

Zhuang

壮族

China's largest minority group, concentrated in Guangxi, known for bronze drum traditions and folk song festivals.

Uyghur
Pop. 11.0M

Uyghur

维吾尔族

Turkic Muslim people of Xinjiang, known for the Twelve Muqam, Sanam dance, and intricate Islamic arts.

Hui
Pop. 10.5M

Hui

回族

Chinese-speaking Muslims distributed across China, known for Islamic calligraphy, halal cuisine, and Hui-style martial arts.

Manchu
Pop. 10.0M

Manchu

满族

Founders of the Qing Dynasty, now largely sinicized but preserving shamanic rituals, traditional archery, and Qing court culture.

Miao (Hmong)
Pop. 9.0M

Miao (Hmong)

苗族

Upland people of Southwest China known for intricate silver jewelry, batik dyeing, embroidery, and Lusheng (reed pipe) music.

Yi
Pop. 8.0M

Yi

彝族

Highland people of Yunnan, Sichuan, and Guizhou, known for the Torch Festival, Yi script, and Alili dance traditions.

Tujia
Pop. 8.0M

Tujia

土家族

Mountain people of Wuling Range, known for hand-waving dance (baishouwu), brocade weaving (xilan kapu), and吊脚楼 stilt houses.

Mongol
Pop. 6.0M

Mongol

蒙古族

Steppe herders from Inner Mongolia, known for Khoomei overtone singing, long-song melodies, and nomadic wrestling traditions.

Tibetan
Pop. 5.5M

Tibetan

藏族

High-altitude people of the Tibetan Plateau, known for thangka painting, Gesar epic, Tibetan opera, and Buddhist ritual arts.

Dong (Kam)
Pop. 3.0M

Dong (Kam)

侗族

People of Guizhou and Hunan, famous for Grand Song (Kam Big Song) polyphonic choir, wind-rain bridges, and drum towers.

Bai
Pop. 1.9M

Bai

白族

People of Dali, Yunnan, known for the Three-Cup Tea ceremony, tie-dye (zaran) fabric, and the grand Guanyin Temple fair.

Korean (Chaoxian)
Pop. 1.8M

Korean (Chaoxian)

朝鲜族

Korean ethnic group in Jilin and northeast China, known for farmers' dance, arirang singing, and cold noodle cuisine.

Hani
Pop. 1.6M

Hani

哈尼族

Terrace farmers of southern Yunnan, creators of the UNESCO-listed Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, known for long-street banquet festival.

Kazakh
Pop. 1.5M

Kazakh

哈萨克族

Nomadic herders of Xinjiang and Gansu, known for Aitys (improvised poetic duels), dombra music, and eagle hunting with golden eagles.

Li
Pop. 1.4M

Li

黎族

Indigenous people of Hainan Island, known for Li textile spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidery techniques (UNESCO-listed).

Dai (Tai)
Pop. 1.2M

Dai (Tai)

傣族

Lowland Buddhist people of Yunnan, known for peacock dance, water-splashing festival, and Theravada Buddhist temple arts.

She
Pop. 710K

She

畲族

Mountain people of Fujian and Zhejiang, known for deep-phoenix-crown women's headdress, storytelling songs, and March-3 festival.

Wa
Pop. 400K

Wa

佤族

Hill people of southwestern Yunnan, known for wooden drum dance, hair-swinging dance, and traditional animist rituals.

Naxi
Pop. 320K

Naxi

纳西族

People of Lijiang, Yunnan, with the world's only living pictographic script (Dongba), known for Dongba ritual arts and Baishag archaic music.

Qiang
Pop. 310K

Qiang

羌族

Highland people of Sichuan, known for Qiang New Year, multi-part folk singing, and traditional stone-block watchtower construction.

Mulao
Pop. 210K

Mulao

仫佬族

Rice-farming people of Guangxi, known for Yifan festival, walking prince drama, and bamboo-ball field hockey (dagunqiu).

Jingpo (Kachin)
Pop. 150K

Jingpo (Kachin)

景颇族

Cross-border people of Yunnan and Myanmar, known for the Munao Zongge festival and sword dance traditions.

Salar
Pop. 130K

Salar

撒拉族

Turkic Muslim people of Qinghai and Gansu, known for Salar wedding songs, camel play performance, and leather raft (pizi fa) navigation.

Hezhen (Nanai)
Pop. 5K

Hezhen (Nanai)

赫哲族

Fishing people of the Amur River in Heilongjiang, one of China's smallest minorities, known for Yimakan storytelling and fish-skin clothing.

The Full Atlas

Ethnic groups are woven into the full network of traditions, regions, and dynasties.

View Atlas