 Han
With a population of nearly 1.16 billion, it forms the main
body of the Chinese nation. The Han people inhabit most regions
in China, but mainly live in the Yellow, Yangtze and Pearl river
valleys. The Han Chinese is the common language of both the
Hans and the majority of ethnic minorities.
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 Mongolian
Comprising 4.8 million people, the former nomads now lead a
settled life. They mainly live in the Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang
Uygur autonomous regions, and in Qinghai, Gansu, Liaoning, Jilin
and Heilongjiang provinces. The Mongolian people have their
own spoken and written language.
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 Hui
The Hui is an Islamic group with a population of 8.6 million.
The Hui people can be found in all parts of China though living
in compact communities in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
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 Uygur
The Uygur is an Islamic group with a population of more than
7.2 million. Mainly living in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous
Region, the Uygur people use their own spoken and written language.
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 Miao
The group has a population of 7.4 million, of which around 50
percent lives in Guizhou Province. The Miao people also live
in compact communities in Yunnan, Hunan, Sichuan and Hainan
provinces, and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. They have
their own spoken and written language.
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 Yi
It is one of the oldest ethnic groups in China, with a population
of 6.58 million. The Yi people are mainly distributed in Yunnan,
Sichuan and Guizhou provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous
Region, and have their own spoken and written language.
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 Bouyei
The group has a population of 2.54 million, with the majority
of them inhabiting south Guizhou Province and the rest living
scattered in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region. Besides their own spoken and written language,
the Bouyei people also use the Han Chinese.
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 Korean
The group has 1.92 million people. The Koreans mainly live in
the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, though
they can also be found in Heilongjiang and Liaoning provinces
and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. They have their own
spoken and written language.
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 Manchu
The second largest ethnic minority group in China has a population
of 9.84 million, mainly living in northeast China. Liaoning
Province has the largest number of the Manchu people while a
small number of them live in some large and medium-sized cities.
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 Zhuang
The largest ethnic minority group in China has a population
of more than 15.5 million, with 13 million living in the Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region and the rest in the neighboring provinces
of Yunnan, Guangdong, Guizhou and Hunan. Besides their own spoken
and written language, the Zhuang people also use the Han Chinese.
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 Dong
The group comprises 2.51 million people, who are mainly distributed
in the contiguous areas of Guizhou and Hunan provinces and the
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Besides their own spoken and
written language, the Dong people also use the Han Chinese.
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 Tibetan
Believing in Tibetan Buddhism, the group has a population of
around 4.6 million, with 2.1 million living in the Tibet Autonomous
Region. Also distributed in Sichuan, Gansu, Qinghai and Yunnan
provinces, the Tibetan people have their own spoken and written
language.
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 Yao
The group comprises more than 2.13 million people. Mainly distributed
in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Hunan, Yunnan, Guangdong,
Guizhou and Jiangxi provinces, the Yao people generally use their
own spoken language and the written form of the Han Chinese.
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 Bai
The group comprises 1.6 million people. Believing in Buddhism, most
of the Bai people inhabit the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan
Province, with small groups living in Guizhou, Sichuan and Hunan
provinces. They generally use their own spoken language and the
written form of the Han Chinese.
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 Tujia
The group comprises more than 5.7 million people, mainly living
in the Xiangxi Tujia-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Hunan Province
and the Enshi Tujia-Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Hubei Province.
The Tujia people are also distributed in Sichuan and Guizhou provinces.
They generally use their own spoken language and the written form
of the Han Chinese.
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 Hani
With a population of 1.25 million, the Hani is an ethnic group living
and engaged in farming in mountains between the Honghe and Lancangjiang
rivers in the south of Yunnan Province. The Hani people have their
own spoken and written language.
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 Kazakh
The Kazakh is an Islamic group comprising more than 1.11 million
people. Mainly living in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the
Kazakh people are also distributed in small groups in Gansu and
Qinghai provinces. They have their own spoken and written language.
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 Dai
The group comprises 1.02 million people inhabiting Xishuangbanna
and some other areas in Yunnan Province. Most of the Dai people
are believers in Hinayana (the Little Vehicle of Salvation) of Buddhism.
Besides their own spoken and written language, they also use the
Han Chinese.
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