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Yunnan is a microcosm of China in the areas of
minority affairs and nationality relations. The province has 25
minority groups, nearly half of the country's total ( 56 ethnic
groups ) . With such ethnic diversity it is important to ask the
question: what criteria are used to determine minority status and
classification? Basically, there are five ways: Race , Language,
Culture, Religion, History.
In Yunnan race is not a major consideration, as it
is in northwest China where Caucasian exist, Language and culture,
however, are of primary interest because they are the basis for
classifying most minority nationalities. Religion plays a role in
groups such as the Hui ( Muslims ) who, to all intents and
purposes, are Chinese except for their faith. Historical
background can sometimes tip the balance in determining the status
of a people. The Bai , who have a high cultural level and speak a
language closely related to Mandarin, are clearly not Chinese on
the basis of their long, well-recorded and independent history. |
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Except 25 minorities mentioned in Yunnan, there are
three kinds of the Peoples, for the reason of they are not the
really a kind of minority in China . but they are the certain
branches of the minorities. The three Peoples have the special
customs which are quite different with their original nations and
very interesting in the recent days for their names in tourism of
Yunnan. |
