Population and People of Hainan Island:
Han , Li, Miao and Hui
(Muslims)
Han people
in Hainan Island:
Hans number up to
70% of the total population. They
started the movement 2000 years ago
together with the militaries and
officials to Hainan Island from Mainland
China. Among them, there are offspring
of those who were banished to Hainan for
political reasons. Most of them moved to
Hainan Island from places like
Guangdong, Fujian and Guangxi in the
southern part of Mainland China. This
explains why the local dialect is
similar to Ming Nan (South Fujian)
Dialect, and a lot of local Han people
can speak or understand Cantonese
especially along the eastern coast. Like
most of the southern Chinese, they enjoy
light dishes snd seafood very much.
The total population of Hainan Island is approximately 8
million. Though the number is now predominantly comprised of Hai
Chinese, there are still 39 minority groups living in Hainan
Island today
The largest of the non-Han nationalities on Hainan Island are
the Li, Miao and Hui peoples, of which the Li, with a population
of 1.3 million, are the most numerous.
LI People:
The first inhabitants of Hainan Island
Li
People are the original inhabitants of
Hainan. They are believed to be the
descendants of the ancient Yue tribes of
China, who settled on the island more
than 3,000 years ago.
The Li ethnic group of China mainly
inhabits the nine cities and counties in
the middle and southern part of
Hainan
- the cities of Sanya, Tongza and
Dongfang, the Li autonomous counties of
Baisha, Lingshui, Ledong, Changjiang,
and the 'Li and Miao Autonomous Counties
of Qiongzhong and Baoting'. Some others
reside elsewhere on Hainan with other
ethnic groups in Danzhou, Wanning,
Qionghai and Tunchang.
The area inhabited by the Li ethnic
group totals 18,700 square kilometers,
about 55 percent of the province's
total.
San Yu San is a
special occasion in April each year for
the unmarried young men and women of Li
and Miao communities to celebrate new
life and pray for love and happiness.
Today it has become a public ceremony
for all Li and Miao, to celebrate with
songs, dances and sporting activities.
Miao People
Miaos
number approximately 60,000, and the
majority reside into the mountains,
primarily in Quiongzhong and Baoting
Country with their customs of life
influenced by Christianity.
They
moved to Hainan Island from Guangxi
about 800 years ago. For the past years,
they live peacefully together with the
Li people around Five Finger Mountain. They
have their own spoken language. But they
are different from the Miao People on
the Mainland China in terms of spoken
language, daily life and culture.
San Yue San is also
the most important festival for Miao
People.
Hui
People: Muslims on Hainan Island
Huis
(Muslims on Hainan Island)
total about 20,000, and have been living
on Hainan for over 700 years, mainly in
Yanglan, a small village on the way from
Sanya Airport to Sanya, with the tradition of
Islam remained in many aspects of their
life.
It is said that the
Huis living in Yang Lan, 10 km from
downtown Sanya are the offspring of
Arabs from the 16th century. At that
time, many traders did business along
the 'Water Silk Road' from Quanzhou,
China to Middle East. Some were ship
wrecked and settled on Hainan Island.
They married the local Li people but
retained their
own customs and identity. Those who
married Lis are different from the Huis
on Mainland China, but they have similar
customs to the Arians. Numbering 6,000,
they stay solely in Yang Lan, with their
own school where girls wear cloth on
their faces, and their own church where
they worship. Their income is derived
primarily from selling pearls on some
beaches, and currency exchange (Hong
Kong Dollar and American Dollar into
Chinese Yuan). They are hardworking
people with living standards higher than
other local people, and a very strong
sense for the retention and preservation
of their own customs.
More about Hainan
Island
More about Hainan
Island
Location of Hainan
Island
Culture and
Festivals of Hainan Island New
History
of Hainan Island
When to make your
holiday and what to pack for your holiday in Sanya Hainan Island
Hainan Island
Travel Tips
Hainan Island Cuisines :NEW
Hainan Island Fruits:
NEW
Hainan Island
Hotels
Hainan Island Animals
NEW
Hainan Island Golf Clubs
Hainan Island Maps
Sanya---the
tropical destination and highlight of Hainan Island
Haikou---the
capital city and commercial center of Hainan Island
Boao
of
Hainan Island
for
Asia Forum
Road Transportation in Haikou Hainan Island by Taxi or Bus
Tourist attractions of Hainan Island:
coming soon
Malaria Problem in
Sanya Hainan Island
Population and People of Hainan Island:
Han , Li, Miao and Hui
(Muslims) |
