Zhuang
The Zhuang people (Traditional Chinese: 壯族, Simplified Chinese: 壮族, Hanyu Pinyin: zhuÃÂàngzÃÂú) are an ethnic group of people who mostly live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. Their population, estimated at 18 million people, puts them second only to the Han Chinese and makes the Zhuang the largest minority in China.
| Total population: | 18 million | |
| Significant populations in: | China: 18 million | |
| Language | Zhuang language, others? | |
| Related ethnic groups | ||
The Zhuang are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. They live mostly in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. Some also live in the Yunnan, Guangdong, Guizhou and Hunan provinces.
There is an indigenous Zhuang language, which was formerly written in Chinese characters, but now is usually written in Roman letters, as with Vietnamese (Guanxi borders Vietnam).
Most Zhuang follow a traditional animist/ancestor-oriented religion, however, there are a number of Christians, Buddhists, and Muslims in Guangxi as well.
The name of the Zhuang minority used to be written 獞. This character contains the "Animal" radical, which is also used in the characters for animals and other characters whose meanings have negative connotations. Because of this fact, it was considered an ethnic slur. In 1949, the animal radical was replaced with the "Person" radical, and the character became 僮. Eventually, the character was replaced with 壯, a previously existing character meaning "sturdy" or "strong". ¹
Geography
Culture
Language
Religion
Etymological Note
References
| Chinese ethnic groups |
|---|
| Achang - Bai - Blang - Bonan - Buyi - Dai - Daur - De'ang - Dong - Dongxiang - Drung - Evenki - Gaoshan - Gelao - Gin - Han - Hani - Hezhen - Hui - Jingpo - Jino - Kazakh - Kirghiz - Korean - Lahu - Lhoba - Li - Lisu - Manchu - Maonan - Menba - Miao - Mongol - Mulam - Naxi - Nu - Oroqin - Pumi - Qiang - Russian - Salar - She - Shui - Tajik - Tatar - Tibetan - Tu - Tujia - Uighur - Uzbek - Wa - Xibe - Yao - Yi - Yugur - Zhuang |