A number of ethnic groups of the People's Republic of China are not officially recognized. Taken together, these groups () would constitute the twentieth most populous ethnic group of China. Some scholars have estimated that there are over 200 distinct ethnic groups that inhabit China, compared to 56 groups that are officially recognized. There are in addition small distinct ethnic groups that have been classified as part of larger ethnic groups that are officially recognized. Some groups, like the Hui of Xinjiang with the Hui of Fujian, are geographically and culturally separate, except for the shared belief of Islam. Han Chinese, being the world's largest ethnic group, has great diversity within it. For example, in Gansu, Han individuals may have genetic traits from the assimilated Tangut civilization. Although they are indigenous to Hainan island and do not speak a Chinese language, the Lingao (Ong-Be) people near the capital (8% of the population) are counted as Han Chinese.
List of ethnic groups BunuBùnǔrén700,000YaoGuangxiOfficially classified as ethnic Yao.ChuanqingChuānqīngrén670,000HanLiupanshui/Zhijin County, Bijie Prefecture, Guizhou The Chuanqings view themselves as a distinct group of people despite being descendants of Han Chinese military servicemen. Most of them live in Anshun area of Guizhou province. Other locals call the Chuanqings "Da Jiao Ban" (Big Foot) or "Da Xiuzi" (Big Sleeves). Uniquely, they worship a god called Wuxian (五显).LingaoLíngāorén 500,000 Han or ZhuangHainan Speakers of the Be languages. Some have chosen to register as Zhuang, while the majority of them registered as Han.WaxiangWǎxiāngrén400,000 HanYuanling County, Yongding, Yongshun County of HunanMany of the Waxiang people are designated as Miao, while some are designated as Tujia or Han. Torghut Tǔěrhùtèrén150,000 Mongols Xinjiang GyalrongJiāróngrén120,000TibetanNgawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, SichuanSpeakers of the Gyalrong language related to Qiang.LiminLǐmínrén100,000LiAnshun/Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, GuizhouPart of the Chuanqing people. Not related to the Li people of Hainan. GejiaGéjiārén50,000MiaoQiandongnan Prefecture, GuizhouMosuoMósuōrén50,000NakhiSichuan, YunnanConsisting of a population of approximately 50,000, many of them live in the Yongning region, around Lugu Lake, in Labai, in Muli, and in Yanyuan.
Although the Mosuo are culturally distinct from the Nashi, the Chinese government places them as members of the Nashi minority. The Nashi are about 320,000 people spread throughout different provinces in China. Their culture has been documented by indigenous scholars Lamu Gatusa, Latami Dashi, Yang Lifen, and He Mei.The collection of papers that Latami Dashi edited, published in 2006, contains an extensive list of references in Chinese, and a bibliography of books and articles in other languages (especially English) compiled by He Sanna.ÄynuÀinǔrén50,000UyghurMoyu/Hetian/Luopu/Shache/Shule/Yingjisha Counties, Hotan Prefecture, XinjiangEthnically and linguistically distinct, speak Äynu language (Siberian Turkic subfamily) and adhere Shia Islam (Alevism). Not related to the Ainu people of Hokkaido and Sakhalin.CaijiaCàijiārén40,000Han or BaiGuizhouCaijia people's language is said to be a relative of the Bai language.MuxiMùlǎorén30,000YiMajiang/Kaili/Huangping (Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture), Duyun/Fuquan (Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture), Guizhou and Chun'an County, ZhejiangTheir language Muyu belongs to the Kra language group, close to the proverb, but due to similarities to the Gelao they are being classified into the Yi.MojiaMòjiārén20,000BouyeiLibo County, Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, GuizhouThey speak the Mak language (Kam-Sui).BaimaBáimǎrén15,000TibetanJiuzhaigou, Sichuan and Wen County, GansuThe Baima people are said to be the descendants of Di (氐) people.UtsulHuíhuīrén8,500HuiHainanThe Utsuls are thought to be descendants of Cham refugees who fled their homeland of Champa in Vietnam.KhmuKèmùrén7,000BulangXishuangbanna, YunnanGugeGǔgérén5,000Hui (Qinghai), Tibetan (Yunnan)Hualong Hui Autonomous County, Haidong Prefecture, Qinghai, Deqen/Weixi Counties, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan and Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous RegionIt is distributed in Hualong Hui Autonomous County of Qinghai Province, Shangri-La, Deqin, Weixi County, and Lhasa City of Tibet Autonomous Region in the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province. The Guge people are culturally coordinated and adapted to be compatible with and preserve multi-ethnic culture. Suddenly retain the characteristics of the Hui culture, forming a unique nation.AkhaĀkǎrén6,000HaniJinghong/Jinghan/Qilong town (Jinghong County), Bulangshan town (Menghai County) and Qilun town (Mengla County), Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, YunnanThe Akha claimed to be "over gram", and Akha was the name of the Yi people (meaning "slaves").BisuBìsūrén6,000Some are classified as Lahu while those who live in Menghai County are counted as "undistinguished nationalities"Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, YunnanLemoLēimòrén7,000Bai and LisuLushui County, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, YunnanThey are results of intermarriage between Tai Mao (Dehong Dai/Shan) and Lisu peoples.AltaiansĀ'ěrtàirénseveral thousandMongolianAltay Prefecture of Xinjiang YamatoDàhérén4000 (in total) HanAcross Jilin, Inner Mongolia, and LiaoningLeftovers of Japanese settlers that remained in China after the Second Sino-Japanese War, primarily women and orphaned children. Many declare themselves as Han in Chinese censuses due to having mostly assimilated into Chinese society.RyukyuLiúqiúrénHan or sometimes GaoshanAcross Jilin, Inner Mongolia, and LiaoningTuvansTúwǎrén3,900MongolianFar north of XinjiangOnly around 2,000 Tuvan speakers left.BuganBùgēngrén2,700YiSouthern Guangnan (广南) and northern Xichou (西畴), YunnanSpeakers of the Bugan language. PakanBùgēngrén2,000YiWennan, Xiqiao. Wenshan, YunnanBuyangBùyāngrén2,000Yao, ZhuangWenshan Prefecture, Yunnan and Napo County, GuangxiThey are closely related to the Laha, Qabiao, Gelao, and Lachi.DengChēngrén2,000May be classified as TibetanZayu County, Linzhi (Nyingchi), Tibet Autonomous RegionThey speak various Mishmi languages (including Kaman/Miju and Idu Mishmi language).BolyuBāliúrén1,800Longlin County, GuangxiAlso known as Lai. KungeKūngérén1,656 (338 households)BlangJinghong County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, YunnanThe custom of the Kunge is different from that of the general Blang. The unique special day has the Dragon and the Dragon Festival. The Dragon Column is an iron festival. The time is in the solar calendar in February. During the festival, you must kill the cows, burn the bonfire, and worship the ancestors.BajiaBājiǎrén1,500Blang and YiYu'a/Yucha Township, Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, YunnanDistributed in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Those who mixed with Blang are being classified as Blang peoples while those who unmixed are being classified as Yi peoples (this happened on 2011 after approval by Chinese National Civil Affairs Commission and the Yunnan Provincial Government).Fuyu KyrgyzFùyù Kēkèzīrén1,400KyrgyzFuyu County, HeilongjiangEthnically and linguistically distinct from Kyrgyz, closely related to the ancient Yenisei Kyrgyz and modern Khakas in Siberia.KeriyaKèlǐyǎrén1,300UyghurYutian/Minfeng County, Hotan Prefecture, XinjiangThe Keriya people are said to be descendants of the Tibet Aliguge dynasty. Another group are said to be desert indigenous people living there. The natural environment determines the lifestyle of the Keriya people in the deep Taklimakan Desert. It still retains the simple and pure folk customs. Culture and a more primitive way of life. Most of them lived together for generations. The elderly at home are the most respected elders. The tribes rarely marry outsiders. They are called "the primitive tribes in the desert".ManmiMànmīrén1,000BlangJinghong County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, YunnanManmi people have their own language, Man Met which belongs to the Mon-Khmer (Austroasiatic) language group, and the Manmi people's housing, costumes, religious beliefs, and festivals are similar to the Yi people, but the ethnic group is classified as the Blang ethnic group. Now, Manmi people hope to be counted as an independent nation.Kaifeng JewsKāifēng Yóutàizú600 – 1,000Hui or HanKaifeng, HenanDescendants of Jewish silk road traders.KangjiaKāngjiārén500–600HuiJainca (Jianzha) County, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, QinghaiThe Kangjia people have their own language, Kangjia language. It belongs to the Mongolian language group. The lifestyle is mixed with the Hui and Tu nationalities. Therefore, the Kangjia peoples now consider themselves to be an independent nationality, different from the surrounding people.MangMǎngrén568BlangXishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, YunnanTomaoTuōmàorén500HuiYanqi Hui Autonomous County, Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang and Zhidoi County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, QinghaiMuslim minority distributed in Qinghai and Xinjiang, with its own unique customs, using Tomo language (a Mongolian mixed Arabic and Persian vocabulary).QabiaoBùbiāozrén302YiMalipo County, YunnanAlso known in Vietnam as the Pu Peo (普標). LaopinLǎopǐnrén233 (in 52 households)May be classified as DaiMenghai County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, YunnanThe Lao Ping ethnics call themselves "old products", also known as "card products". Old people retain their own language, such as eating for "Tangza", housing for "crowding", and fluent slang. The old-fashioned housing is a Chinese-style bungalow. A unique original religion, with temples and godless statues, is held every year in the whole village.LaomianLǎomiǎnrén233 (in 52 households)LahuMenghai County, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, YunnanThe Laomian has nothing to do with the Burmese. The Laomian people is a cross-border ethnic group distributed in the border areas of China, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. In China, Laojia Dazhai in Zhutang Township of Mula County and Miaohai Village in Menghai County of Mianhai County are the main settlements.DamanDámànrén200TibetanGyirong County, Shigatse Prefecture, TibetThey are popularly believed to be descendants of the Nepalese Gurkha army. CaizuCàizúrén170 (in 32 households)HanUnknownIli Turks,Tǔěrkèrén120Uzbek, UyghurIli Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Northern XinjiangEthnically and linguistically distinct from Uyghurs.OngkorWēngkuòrén20EvenkiYining County, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, XinjiangIt is said that Ongkor is the smallest ethnic group in China. The 1993 survey showed that there were only 20 people.TankaDànjiārén HanGuangdong, Fujian, HainanThought to have Baiyue origins. Traditionally boat people who lived by the sea, they were sometimes referred to as "sea gypsies".DolanDāolǎngrén UyghurAwat County, Xinjiang KucongKǔcōngrén LahuYunnan
Notes
See also Ethnic minorities in China Ethnic groups in Chinese history History of the Jews in China List of unrecognized ethnic groups of Guizhou
References
Further reading
External links 至今没有归属中国尚待被识别的23个少数民族