Pictures of Chinese people - 56 ethnic groups

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Qiang people 羌族


Revival of white-stoned Qiang village after the Wenchuan Earthquake 汶川大地震.

The Qiang is one of the oldest ethnic minorities in China, which can be traced back to the era of Emperors Yan and Huang. The Qiang is reputed as "the ethnic minority on the clouds" since the Qiang people live under the blue sky and white clouds.

At the legendary time when the Qiang people moved into Sichuan from the Tibetan Plateau, they placed white stones on every hilltop and crossroads, for they did not want to forget the route leading back to their original homeland. These piles of white stones also acts as a token of their affection for their homeland and the people they left behind at the same time.

Upon arriving at the territory of the local Geji people, the Qiang fought a losing battle. Jirpol, witnessing the condition that they were in, instructed the Qiang to find a strong white stone and attach it to rattan sticks and fight with this weapon, tying some sheep wool to the neck of the stick as well. Victory was on their side, and the Qiangs began to look upon the white stones as gods to be worshipped.

 

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Tu people 土族


The Tu 土族 women like to wear colorful embroidered clothes.

 

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Tu people 土族


Tu people 土族, numbered about a quarter of million, is one of the official ethnic group of China. (Please be noted the Tu are an entirely different ethnic group than the Tujia 土家&#26063 Throughout history the Tu people have been label with various names, such as: Monguor 蒙古尔, White Mongol/Chagan Mongol 察罕蒙古尔, Donghu 东胡 and Xianbei 鲜卑. Tu people lived mostly in Qinghai and Gansu provinces. The differences in the Tu population is seen in the languages they speak-- Monguor which belongs to the Mongolic languages, Chinese, and Tibetan. Nearly all Tu speak Chinese. Most are farmers; some have a few livestock. Their culture and social organizations have been influenced by Confucianism. The religions of the Tu reflect elements of Tibetan) Buddhism, Taoism, Shamanism, and local beliefs not easily categorized. A few Tu in Huzhu and Minhe are Christian.

The Chinese reference of "Tu" was derived from the name of Tuyühu Khan, who was the older son of the King of Murong Xianbei and separated to undertake the great westward migration from the northeast in 284. As the other ethnic groups of the Tuyühu Empire came to be ascribed with different ethnonyms through subsequent history, the Xianbei who founded the empire remained to bear with the identity of "Tu."

Most Tu in rapidly changing rural settlements today practice sedentary agriculture, supplemented by minimum animal husbandry, and seasonal work in towns and cities. Those who have succeeded in the Chinese educational system take up government jobs in a wide range of academic, medical, and business fields. Many Tu today are also into the fields of mining, agriculture chemicals and machinery manufacturing. In most Tu villages Buddhist temples and a Taoist shrines coexist and the monks and Tao priests have their respective positions depending on the occasions.


Official portrait of a Tu family

Distribution of Tu people

Tu's Mongour script

互助土族自治县 Huzhu Tu Autonomous County, the only fully Tu's Autonomous region

There are also many Tu live in Datong Hui and Tu Autonomous County 大通回族土族自治县

The famous 12 winding slopes of a highway goes through where Tu people live

Tu people live on both sides of the Yellow River in this area, their traditional way to cross the river is using this goat skin raft. To make a goat skin float is rather simple: you strip off a goat of its skin and tie the inside-out openings with air inside.

 

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Tu people 土族


A Tu boy lost himself on thoughts or he's just savoring the taste of the ice cream?

Teachers and students

Elders

A room full of women

Courting

Looking pretty

Playing Chinese chess on the street

The young and the olders

 

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Tu people 土族


Although most of the Tu are Buddhists but there are quite a number of Taoists as well. Here a Tu Tao temple

A Buddhist temple

互助佑宁寺, one of the most sacred temple shared by the Tu and the Tibetans

Pure gold Buddhas

 

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Tu people 土族


The Tu are very fond of their 轮子秋 Swing Carousels, they often have their sport events, festivities, ancestral worships and wedding celebrations in big courts with carousels:


Sport events

Weddings

Occasions

Folk dances

 

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Tu people 土族


Many Tu were once nomads and herders, they followed where their herds went. However they settle down these days and live in villages. There are still some isolated yurt villages around though.

They live in villages like this one now a days

Or in towns

 

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Tu people 土族


Tu welcome guests: 下马三杯酒，上马三杯酒 "When a guest arrives and dismounts from his horse you toast him 3 cup of wine, when he mounts a horse and ready to leave, you toast him 3 cups of wine again"

Or 跳於菟 to ward off evil spirits

Masks dances work both ways

Other customs and dances

 

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Tu people 土族


The Tu have a thriving spirit making industry. Here's a master rice wine maker

A wine cellar

Commercial operation

National brands

The Tu make a good 葱花土鸡 dish

A hearty goat meat stew

Delicious rice balls with a special sauce

Corn cake taste as good as it looks

 

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Tu people 土族


A Tu's culture village in 互助土族自治县 Huzhu Tu Autonomous County in Qinghai

 

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Mulao people 仫佬族


Mr Pun is a 52 year ethnic Mulao man from Liuzhou Quangxi. After he graduated from high school in 1979 he was dispatched to Big Rock village to teach poor ethnic Mulao children. For more than 30 years he becomes a teacher and a baby sitter for all the kids from this small and improvised village. And he's still there today to care for his beloved children.


He picks up the kids from their houses one by one every morning

Teach them to read

And to recognize words

To write

To add

Lunch time he cooks for them

Teach the the value of food

Then he serves them

 

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Mulao people 仫佬族


Mulao people 仫佬族, numbered just above 200, 000, is one of an ethnic groups officially recognized by China. Majority of Mulao people live in Luocheng Mulao Autonomous County 罗城仫佬族自治县 in Hechi 河池, Guangxi. It is believed that the Mulao are the descendants of the ancient Ling and Liao tribes that inhabited the region during the time of the Jin Dynasty. During the Yuan dynasty, the Mulao lived in a feudal society and they paid a series of tributes twice a year to the emperor.

The Mulao speak the Mulam language, a Tai–Kadai languag, and its vocabularies are 65% shared with the Dongs and the Zhuang. Since the Ming Dynasty, Chinese characters have been utilized to read and write the Mulam language. The majority of the Mulao also speak Chinese as well as the Zhuang and Dong languages. Although the religion no longer plays a main role in the daily life, traditionally the Mulao have been mostly Buddists, Taoists and animists. They celebrated diverse festivals, such as the festival Yifan, where diverse sacrifices of animals were carried out. Another one of their festivals was the dragon boat festival that was celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. During this celebration, the shamans carried out ceremonies to assure good crop harvests and to expel harmful insects.


Official family portrait of a Mulao family

A real life large family

Distribution of Mulao in Guangxi China

Symbol of local deities

A man's clothes and accessories

Traditional Mulao stove

A weaving machine

A typical bed with bamboo mat to keep cool

 

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Mulao people 仫佬族


A young Mulao woman in ethnic dress

A man's typical wear

A girl

Fancy headgear for some occasions

Just want to look pretty

Show time

Casual

Taking pictures

 

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Mulao people 仫佬族


Liu San Jie 刘三姐, a legendary folk singer, is believed to be a Mulao by many historians

Her style of song is called "mountain songs" that sing by young people of many ethnic groups live in or near the mountains. It becomes a singing style that's widely popular, especial among young people in the courting stages

Some other country music singing

 

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Mulao people 仫佬族


A scenic Mulao village

A walled village

Entrance

A watch tower of the walled village

A nearby tourist attraction: "Hundred Devil Cave"