Cultures and Customs

2 min read

Hainan has got a long history. It is the second largest island after Taiwan Island in China. Hainan has been called Immigration Island because its inhabitants come mainly from the mainland and everyone living here belongs to different ethnic groups that settled down here at different times. Indeed some 30 ethnic groups live in harmony on the island. Han people form the most numerous group, and they and the Li, Miao and Hui ethnic minorities have been living on the island for several generations.

Among the ethnic minorities, the Li people are the earliest and most numerous of Hainan’s migrants. The Wuzhishan Mountain area is the main area inhabited by the Li nationality aborigines, and they have been living there and developing their cultures and customs for more than 3,000 years. They also have their own spoken language but use Chinese characters as their writtenscript. The Li people are hard workers and have mainly supported themselves through farming; however, starting in the Tang and Song Dynasties, they also established a family handicraft industry. Their most notable product is “Li cloth”, which is famous both at home and abroad. Now their villages and way of life have become distinctive tourist attractions.

The Miao people form Hainan’s second largest ethnic minority. Their number totals 60,000 and they mainly live in mountainous parts of Qiongzhong and Baoting autonomous counties. The Miao People are said to have originally lived in the mountainous areas of Guangxi, Guizhou and Hunar provinces. The Miao people have kept their rich traditions in attire and enjoytheir traditional five-colour glutinous rice. The Miao people are accomplished singers and dancers.

The Hui people are one of other major ethic groups in Hainan Province. They settled on the island and have a long history living here. They are concentrated mainly in Sanya Fenghuang Town at the very southern end of the island. Their number totals more than 7,000. The Hui people have retainedtheir Islamic faith and customs and gather together every year to celebrate their traditional lslamic Guerbang feast.

Hainan is not only a place of immigrants, but also a place of emigrants as well. In fact, Hainan has become one of the three famous sources of Chineseemigration, with some 3 million overseas Chinese hailing from the island, afigure exceeded only by Guangdong and Fujian Provinces. People from Hainan can be found in 59 countries and regions throughout the world; half of them have migrated to Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries.

Hainan’s blend of regional cultures and customs, along with the island’s special local festivals, has created a truly unique and unforgettable experience for anyone who has come to visit the island.