Author: Will

There are 55 ethnic minorities in China, which are widely distributed in various regions of China, but mainly concentrated in provinces and autonomous regions such as the southwest, northwest and northeast. The following is a detailed introduction to the distribution and customs of China’s ethnic minorities:

I. Distribution of ethnic minorities
China’s ethnic minorities are mainly distributed in the following regions:

Southwest region: including Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Chongqing, Tibet and other provinces. These regions have complex terrain and diverse climate, which provide conditions for the survival and reproduction of different ethnic groups. Among them, Yunnan Province has the richest ethnic composition and is the province with the most ethnic minorities in the country.

Northwest region: including Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi and other provinces. These areas are dry and rainless, but have rich natural resources and unique geographical environment, which attracts many ethnic minorities to settle here.

Northeast region: including Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang and other provinces. Although the number of ethnic minorities in the northeast is relatively small, there are also some ethnic groups with distinctive characteristics living here, such as Manchu and Korean.

In addition, autonomous regions such as Inner Mongolia and Guangxi are also important areas where ethnic minorities live.

II. Customs of ethnic minorities
Due to the large number of ethnic minorities in China, each ethnic group has its own unique cultural customs. The following are some representative ethnic minorities and their customs:

Tibetan
Clothing: Tibetan clothing has strong ethnic characteristics. Men mostly wear Tibetan robes, while women like to wear various accessories, such as earrings, necklaces, bracelets, etc.
Diet: Tibetans mainly eat tsampa, butter tea, beef and mutton, and also like to drink highland barley wine.
Festivals: Tibetan traditional festivals include Tibetan New Year and Shoton Festival, among which Tibetan New Year is one of the most important festivals for Tibetan people.
Taboo: Tibetans are taboo to eat donkey meat, horse meat and dog meat, and they are also not allowed to cut down trees or make loud noises near temples.
Mongolian
Clothing: The traditional clothing of Mongolians is long robes and belts. Men mostly wear hats, while women like to wear various headdresses.
Diet: Mongolians mainly eat beef, mutton and dairy products, and also like to drink kumis and milk tea.
Festivals: Mongolian traditional festivals include Nadam Festival and Horse Year Festival, among which Nadam Festival is a grand gathering of Mongolian people.
Customs: Mongolian people are hospitable and like to entertain guests with songs, dances and fine wine.
Uyghur
Clothing: Uyghur men mostly wear long robes and trousers, while women like to wear colorful dresses and headscarves.
Food: Uyghurs mainly eat noodles and beef and mutton, and also like to drink milk tea and eat various dried fruits.
Festivals: Uyghur traditional festivals include Rouzi Festival and Eid al-Adha, which are important festivals of Islam.
Customs: Uyghur people are good at singing and dancing, and like to express their emotions and blessings through singing and dancing.
Zhuang
Clothing: Zhuang men mostly wear double-breasted tops and trousers, while women like to wear colorful shorts and long skirts.
Food: Zhuang people mainly eat rice and corn, and also like to eat various pickled foods and sour foods.
Festivals: Zhuang traditional festivals include March 3rd Song Festival, etc. These festivals are important moments for Zhuang people to celebrate the harvest and pray for happiness.
Customs: The Zhuang people are hospitable and like to entertain guests with wine and songs.
Miao
Clothing: Miao clothing features silver ornaments and embroidery. Women often wear silver ornaments and clothes embroidered with exquisite patterns.
Diet: The Miao people mainly eat rice and corn, and also like to eat various sour and pickled foods.
Festivals: The traditional festivals of the Miao people include the Miao New Year Festival and the Sisters Festival. These festivals are important moments for the Miao people to celebrate the harvest and pray for happiness.
Customs: The Miao people are good at singing, dancing and embroidery skills, and they also have many unique folk beliefs and taboos.

As the only ancient civilization in the world that has never been interrupted, the reasons why Chinese civilization has been able to continue to this day are multifaceted, involving complex factors in multiple fields such as geography, politics, economy, culture, and ethnicity. The following is a detailed analysis of this issue:

I. Unique geographical location

1. Natural barriers and relative closedness

China is located in East Asia, facing the Pacific Ocean to the east, natural barriers such as the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Tianshan Mountains to the west, cold Siberia to the north, and tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia to the south. Such a geographical location makes China relatively closed and not easily affected by foreign invasions and shocks. In the era of cold weapons, this closedness provided a strong guarantee for the stable development of Chinese civilization.

2. Vast territory and diverse natural environment

China has a vast territory and diverse natural environment, which provides a vast space and rich resources for the development of Chinese civilization. From the grasslands in the north to the tropical rainforests in the south, from the plains in the east to the plateaus in the west, different geographical environments have nurtured different cultural forms and promoted the diversity and inclusiveness of Chinese civilization.

2. Stability of the political system
3. 1，The situation of imperial unification

China has achieved the situation of imperial unification many times in history, forming a very stable political system. Qin Shihuang promoted a unified system of laws, writing, weights and measures, laying a solid foundation for the inheritance and development of Chinese civilization. Since then, successive dynasties have been committed to maintaining the unity and stability of the country. This concept of pursuing unity has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people and has become an important driving force for the inheritance of Chinese civilization.

2. The long-term existence of the feudal system

The feudal system has existed for a long time in Chinese history, with the emperor as the center and a clear feudal hierarchy. Although this system has its limitations, it has promoted social stability and cultural inheritance to a certain extent. Under the feudal system, the emperor, as the supreme ruler, holds the country’s political, economic and cultural power, which is conducive to the unification and inheritance of culture.

3. Sustainable economic development
4. Stability of agricultural civilization

China is a typical agricultural civilization country, and agriculture is the foundation of the national economy. In the agricultural era, China had relatively advanced agricultural production and handicraft technology, and created many important inventions, such as papermaking, printing, gunpowder, compass, etc. These inventions not only improved agricultural production efficiency, but also promoted the spread and development of culture. The stability of agricultural civilization enables Chinese civilization to maintain continuity and stability in the long historical process.

2. Prosperity of commerce and trade

With the development of history, China’s commerce and trade have gradually prospered. The opening of the Silk Road promoted economic and cultural exchanges between China and the outside world, injecting new vitality into the development of Chinese civilization. At the same time, the continuous expansion of the domestic market and the prosperity of commercial trade have also promoted social and economic progress and cultural prosperity.

IV. The strong vitality of culture

1. The dominant position of Confucianism

Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty abolished all schools of thought and respected Confucianism alone, Confucianism has become the mainstream thought of all dynasties. Confucianism emphasizes virtues such as benevolence, filial piety, and loyalty, and pursues a harmonious and balanced social order. This ideological system not only shapes the spiritual outlook and values ​​of the Chinese nation, but also provides important support for the inheritance and development of Chinese civilization. At the same time, Confucianism also has a strong tolerance and assimilation power, which can absorb and integrate the excellent elements of other cultures and promote the continuous development of Chinese civilization.

2. Fusion of multiple cultures

Chinese civilization is a complex of multiple cultures. Throughout history, cultures of different ethnic groups and regions have blended and influenced each other, forming a unique Chinese culture. This fusion of multiple cultures has not only enriched the connotation and extension of Chinese civilization, but also enhanced the vitality and creativity of Chinese civilization.

V. National cohesion and centripetal force

1. The pluralistic and unified pattern of the Chinese nation

China is a unified multi-ethnic country, with 56 ethnic groups that are diverse and united, helping each other and working together. This pluralistic and unified pattern gives the Chinese nation a strong cohesion and centripetal force. In the face of foreign aggression and internal turmoil, the Chinese nation can unite and jointly resist foreign aggression and safeguard the unity and stability of the country.

2. Inheritance and promotion of national spirit

Chinese civilization has nurtured the precious spiritual qualities of the Chinese nation. These spiritual qualities include the great creative spirit, the great struggle spirit, the great unity spirit and the great dream spirit. These spiritual qualities not only inspire the Chinese nation to continue to advance and grow, but also provide a strong spiritual driving force for the inheritance and development of Chinese civilization.

VI. Continuity of historical inheritance

1. Continuous record of history
   China’s history with accurate chronology began in the first year of the Republic of China in the Western Zhou Dynasty (841 BC). Since then, all dynasties have attached importance to historical records and archive preservation, forming a rich and diverse historical document system such as official history, records, local chronicles, and genealogies. These documents not only record the political, economic, and cultural conditions of the society at that time, but also provide us with valuable first-hand information for understanding ancient civilization. This continuous record of history provides an important guarantee for the inheritance of Chinese civilization.
2. Carrier inheritance of civilization

The carriers of Chinese civilization include various forms such as text, cultural relics, and architecture. Among them, text is one of the important carriers of the inheritance of Chinese civilization. The earliest known mature Chinese characters are oracle bone inscriptions, which are at least 3,600 years old. Since then, Chinese characters have gone through the development stages of seal script, official script, and regular script, and the evolution of their character shapes and pronunciations can be traced. The Chinese characters we use today are not fundamentally different from oracle bone inscriptions. The continuity and stability of this text provide strong support for the inheritance of Chinese civilization.

In summary, there are many reasons why Chinese civilization has not disappeared and continues to this day. These reasons are intertwined and mutually reinforcing, and together they constitute the unique charm and strong vitality of Chinese civilization.

China has a 5,000-year-old civilization. This statement not only contains profound historical and cultural heritage, but also reflects the long-standing historical heritage of the Chinese nation. The following is a detailed explanation of this statement, with a content of about 2,500 words.

1. The starting point and basis of historical chronology
   There are many statements in history about the starting point of China’s 5,000-year-old civilization, but the more scientific and widely accepted one is that it starts from the Xia Dynasty. According to the conclusion of the “Xia, Shang and Zhou Chronology Project”, the Xia Dynasty began in 2070 BC. However, to trace back to earlier history, we still need to rely on the dual evidence of archaeology and history.

Archaeological discoveries:
Erlitou Site in Henan: about 3,800-3,500 years ago, it is one of the symbols of ancient Chinese civilization recognized by Chinese and foreign academic circles. The excavation of the site revealed the social structure and cultural features of the late Xia Dynasty, providing important physical evidence for the existence of the Xia Dynasty.
Liangzhu Ancient City Site: It was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2019, indicating that the international community has recognized that China’s ancient civilization has been 5,000 years old so far. Liangzhu culture, with its exquisite jade, developed rice farming and complex social structure, demonstrates the brilliant achievements of Chinese civilization in the late Neolithic period.
Historical records:
Ancient books such as “Historical Records”: Although the history before the Xia Dynasty is mostly legends and myths, the records of the Xia Dynasty in ancient books such as “Historical Records” provide us with valuable historical clues. Sima Qian recorded the lineage and major events of the Xia Dynasty in detail in “Historical Records”, providing an important basis for later studies of the history of the Xia Dynasty.
The beginning of the exact chronology: The exact chronology in Chinese history began in the first year of the Republic of my country in the Western Zhou Dynasty (841 BC). In this year, King Li of Zhou was driven out of power and co-governed by Duke Zhao of Zhou, which was called “the first year of the Republic”. Since then, China has had uninterrupted and systematic historical records.

2.Calculation and definition of civilization history
The emergence of writing:
One of the important signs of civilization history is the emergence of writing. The oldest Chinese writing is the oracle bone script of the Shang Dynasty, which began between 1300 BC and 2500 BC. However, the buds of writing may have been earlier, such as the primitive writing (pottery writing) engraved on pottery found at the Dawenkou site in Shandong, dating from about 3000 BC to 2500 BC. Although these characters have not yet formed a complete writing system, they have the basic characteristics of writing.
The formation of written history:
Starting from the Xia Dynasty, China gradually formed a relatively complete written history. The lineage and major events of the Xia Dynasty are recorded in detail in ancient books such as “Historical Records”. Although these records may be mixed with the imagination and processing of later generations, they generally reflect the true face of the Xia Dynasty society.
During the Shang Dynasty and the Western Zhou Dynasty, with the widespread use of oracle bone inscriptions and bronze inscriptions, China’s historical records became more systematic and complete. These characters record the political, economic, cultural and other aspects of the society at that time, providing us with valuable information for understanding ancient civilization.
The formation of a diverse and unified nation:
The formation of ancient Chinese civilization is a process of diversity and unity. From ancient times to the pre-Qin period, the various ethnic groups, such as the Xia, the Dongyi, the Xirong, the Nanman, and the Beidi, jointly created Chinese civilization. After the feudal system and rituals in the early Zhou Dynasty and the ethnic integration in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the Huaxia people gradually formed and developed. Since the Han Dynasty, with the Han nationality as the main body, the integration and exchanges between ethnic groups have continued to deepen, and finally formed a diverse and unified Chinese nation.

3. Characteristics and contributions of Chinese civilization
   Long history:
   China is one of the oldest ancient civilizations in the world. It has a history of more than 4,000 years since the Xia Dynasty, and it can be as long as 5,000 years if it is counted from the broader origin of civilization. This long history has provided a deep accumulation and broad space for the development of Chinese civilization.
   The writing has never been interrupted:
   China’s ancient writing originated from clay carvings, painted symbols, and jade, stone, and bone carvings. By the Shang Dynasty, the oracle bone script had initially formed a relatively mature and complete writing system characterized by square characters. After that, it evolved through the evolution of bronze inscriptions, small seal scripts, and even official, cursive, regular, and running scripts, and finally developed into today’s writing system. This continuous inheritance of writing provides an important guarantee for the continuation of Chinese civilization.
   Historical records are passed down in an orderly manner:
   China’s history with accurate chronology began in the first year of the Republic of China in the Western Zhou Dynasty (841 BC). Since then, all dynasties have attached importance to historical records and archive preservation, forming a rich and diverse historical document system such as official history, records, local chronicles, and genealogies. These documents not only record the political, economic, and cultural conditions of the society at that time, but also provide us with valuable first-hand information for understanding ancient civilization.
   Cultural inheritance:
   Chinese civilization has a cultural tradition that is inherited from the same source. From the Shang people’s worship of gods to Zhou Gong’s rituals and music to the rise and development of Confucian culture, Chinese culture has gradually formed a Chinese civilization with Confucian culture as its main body through the process of competition, mutual promotion, mutual restraint and mutual generation of hundreds of schools of thought in each generation.