The 56 Ethnic Groups of China: Traditional Costume, Homeland, Population, Culture

 The geographical span of China is so vast, its types of climates so incredibly diverse, and its history so rich that today, within its borders live 56 distinct ethnic groups. Han Chinese comprise 91% of the population. But the remaining 9% of the population weaves a tapestry of China’s 5000 years of history. A story of human migration and the inter-mingling of genetics and culture. However, all the 56 ethnic groups  still carry its own ancestral legacy, expressed through vibrant street festivals, unique customs, and magnificent traditional attire. The 56 groups inhabit every corner of China from tropical Hainan and sub-tropical Yunnan, to the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, the arid deserts of Xinjiang, the extreme high altitudes of the Tibetan plateau, to the lands bordering Russian Siberia. You will also find many of the 56 recognized ethnic groups are from countries that share a border China: Koreans, Russians, Manchus, Tajiks, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz.

Yunnan is the province with the largest number of non-Han ethnic groups with 25 of the 56 ethnic groups residing in all corners of the province. This is because Yunnan shares borders with Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos with Thailand close by near the Golden Triangle. Yunnan’s  internal borders include Guizhou, Guangxi, Sichuan, Tibet and Qinghai. The hill tribes that criss-cross this region and have a presence in Yunnan include: Miao, Lisu, Wa, Lahu, Aka, Bai, Hani, Dai.