Convenor
Wang Yanzhong
Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology,
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
Abstract
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) officially recognizes 55 ethnic minority groups within China in addition to the Han majority. The largest ethnic group, Han, according to a 2005 sampling, constitute about 91.9% of the total population. The next largest ethnic groups in terms of population include the Zhuang at 18 million, the Manchu at 10.68 million, the Hui at 10 million, the Miao at 9 million, the Uyghur at 11.257 million, the Yi at 7,762,286, the Tujia at 8 million, the Mongols at 5.8 million, the Tibetans at 5.4 million, the Buyei at 2,971,460, The Yao at 3.1 million, and the Koreans at 2,49 million.
Of China’s over-22,000-km terrestrial boundary, 19,000 km traverses minority areas. The areas of grassland and forest, and water and natural gas reserves in areas inhabited by minority peoples account for nearly or over half of the national totals.
Since 2000, when China introduced the strategy of large-scale development of its western regions, the State has made it a top task to accelerate the development of the ethnic minorities and minority areas. All of China’s five autonomous regions, 30 autonomous prefectures and 120 autonomous counties nationwide are either covered by the “Develop the West” campaign, or enjoy the same preferential policies as the western regions.
Indigenous areas have had great changes in the past 30 years after market reform in China. In this panel, we welcome you to show and share your ethnographies in different indigenous areas of China. We welcome that the presenters will not only describe the achievements of indigenous development, but also discuss the challenges and problems of natural source and environment in China.