Yunnan Demographics
Yunnan is notable among the Chinese provinces for its very high level of ethnic diversity. It has the highest number of ethnic groups among all of the provinces and autonomous regions in China. It is so ethnically diverse, that of the country’s 56 recognized ethnic groups, 25 of them can be found in Yunnan. In total, about 38 percent of the province’s population are members of minorities, including the Yi, Bai, Hani, Tai, Dai, Miao, Lisu, Hui, Lahu, Va, Nakhi, Yao, Tibetan, Jingpo, Blang, Pumi, Nu, Achang, Jinuo, Mongols, Derung, Manchus, Shui, and Buyei.
Not only are they plentiful, but the ethnic groups in Yunnan are also widely distributed. Some twenty-five minorities live in compact communities, each of which has a population of more than five thousand. Ten ethnic minorities living in border areas and river valleys include the Hui, Manchu, Bai, Naxi, Mongolian, Zhuang, Dai, Achang, Buyei and Shui, with a combined population of 4.5 million. Those in low mountainous areas are the Hani, Yao, Lahu, Va, Jingpo, Blang and Jino, with a combined population of 5 million, and those in the high mountainous areas are the Miao, Lisu, Tibetan, Pumi and Drung, with a total population of four million.
Ethnicity
Yunnan is noted for a very high level of ethnic diversity.[66] It has the highest number of ethnic groups among the provinces and autonomous regions in China. Among the country’s 56 recognised ethnic groups, twenty-five are found in Yunnan. Some 38% of the province population are members of ethnic minorities, including the Yi, Bai, Hani, Tai, Dai, Miao, Lisu, Hui, Lahu, Wa, Nakhi, Yao, Tibetans, Jingpo, Blang, Pumi, Nu, Achang, Jinuo, Mongols, Derung, Manchus, Sui, and Buyei. Several other groups are represented, but they live neither in compact settlements nor do they reach the required threshold of five thousand to be awarded the official status of being present in the province. Some groups, such as the Mosuo, who are officially recognised as part of the Naxi, have in the past claimed official status as a national minority, and are now recognised with the status of Mosuo people.
Ethnic groups are widely distributed in the province. Some twenty-five minorities live in compact communities, each of which has a population of more than five thousand. Ten ethnic minorities living in border areas and river valleys include the Hui, Manchus, Bai, Naxi, Mongols, Zhuang, Dai, Achang, Buyei and Shui, with a combined population of 4.5 million; those in low mountainous areas are the Hani, Yao, Lahu, Va, Jingpo, Blang and Jino, with a combined population of 5 million; and those in high mountainous areas are Miao, Lisu, Tibetan, Pumi and Drung, with a total population of four million.
Languages
Most dialects of the Chinese language spoken in Yunnan belong to the southwesternsubdivision of the Mandarin group, and are therefore very similar to the dialects of neighbouring Sichuan and Guizhou provinces. Notable features found in many Yunnan dialects include the partial or complete loss of distinction between finals /n/ and /ŋ/, as well as the lack of /y/. In addition to the local dialects, most people also speak Standard Chinese (Putonghua, commonly called “Mandarin”), which is used in the media, by the government, and as the language of instruction in education.
Yunnan’s ethnic diversity is reflected in its linguistic diversity. Languages spoken in Yunnan include Tibeto-Burman languages such as Bai, Yi, Tibetan, Hani, Jingpo, Lisu, Lahu, Naxi; Tai languages like Zhuang, Bouyei, Dong, Shui, Tai Lü and Tai Nüa; as well as Hmong–Mien languages.
The Naxi, in particular, use the Dongba script, which is the only pictographic writing system in use in the world today. The Dongba script was mainly used to provide the Dongba priests with instructions on how to carry out their rituals: today the Dongba script features more as a tourist attraction. Perhaps the best known Western Dongba scholar was Joseph Rock.
Literacy
By the end of 1998, among the province’s population, 419,800 had received college education or above, 2.11 million, senior middle school education, 8.3 million, junior middle school education, 18.25 million, primary school education, and 8.25 million aged 15 or above, illiterate or semi-literate.
Religion
Religion in Yunnan (2005)[67]
Chinese religions, ethnic minorities’ folk religions, or not religious (91.3%)
Buddhism (6%)
Islam (1.4%)
Christianity (1.3%)
According to a demographic analysis of religions in Yunnan, as of 2005 the province has around 4 million believers of the five government-sanctioned organised religious doctrines of China, almost 90% of them belonging to the ethnic minorities.[67] Of these:
- 2.6 million or about 6% of the total population are Buddhists;
- 620,000 or 1.4% are Muslims;
- 530,000 or 1.2% are Protestants;
- 240,000 or 0.5% are Taoists (note that “Taoist” traditionally only defines priests);
- 66,000 or 0.1% are Catholics.
According to surveys conducted in 2004 and 2007, in those years approximately 32.22% of the province’s population was involved in worship of ancestors and 2.75% declared a Christian identity.[68]
Most of the population of the province practices traditional indigenous religions including the Chinese folk religion among the Han Chinese, Bimoism among the Yi peoples and Benzhuism among the Bai people. The Dai people are one of the few ethnic minorities of China that traditionally follow the Theravada branch of Buddhism. Most of the Hui people of the region are Muslims. Christianity is dominant among the Lisu, the Jingpo and the Derung ethnic groups.[67]
