List of the 55 Ethnic Minorities in China: 

Each minority ethnic groups has its own distinctive character.

Achang:  one of the earliest people in Yunnan; famous for growing rice and forging iron weapons, such as cutting tools

Bai: the masters of artistic creativity, they favor white clothes and decorations; they are reative in architecture, painting, music, sculpture and lacquer work

Blang:  live in Yunnan Province. They mainly practice agriculture and are good at planting tea and rice. Renowned for many artistic practices such as literature and music

Bonan:  live in southwest of Gansu Province; mainly engage in handicraft industry; believe in Islam; play traditional woodwind or stringed instrument

Bouyei: inhabited Guizhou Province from as early the Stone Age; advanced in agriculture and forestry; good at brocade and embroidery

Chaoxian: live mainly in northeastern part of China; their ancestors are immigrants from the Korean Peninsula; they have similar festivals with Han People

Dai: distributed throughout the southern part of Yunnan Province; a versatile group who have a disctinctive music; they believe in Buddhism

Daur:  a considerably smaller minority who are said to be the descendants of the Khitan tribe from the Liao Dynasty; they lay stress upon etiquette and have many taboos

De'ang:  a small minority distributed throughout Yunnan Province; they are skilled craftsman, and have a profound tea culture; their staple diet is made up of rice, wheat, corn and legumes

Dong:  live in the border regions between Hunan, Hubei and Guizhou Provinces; they are skilled in handcrafts; their staple foods are ice, millet, wheat sorghum

Dongxiang:  mainly live in Gansu Province, they are farmers and herders; they believe in Islam and enjoy drinking tea

Dulong: are one of the smallest minority groups in China; they believe there are spirits who control everything; they eat two meals a day; they are renowned for their disctinctive handicrafts, in particular carpets

Ewenki:  mostly live in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region; they good at singing and dancing, horse-racing and wrestling; they believe that Gods control their life 

Gaoshan:  mostly live on Taiwan Island; they like singing ballads and telling tales and have rituals for daily activities, such as sowing, harvesting, hunting and fishing

Gelao: an old ethnic minority who are skilled at forging, blacksmithing and stonecutting; they believe in the blessings from many Gods and their ancestors

Gin: mostly live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; they make a living from farming and fishing; they believe in Taoism; their staple foods are seafood and rice 

Hani: mainly inhabit within the Yuan and Lantsang Rivers; they have an interesting marriage custom and believe in the powerful influence of many Gods and their ancestors

Hezhen: the smallest minority in China; they believe in Shamanism, all have spirits and they worship many gods; fish is their staple food

Hui: believe in Islam; religious thoughts play an important role in their daily life; their life-style is very different from the other minority groups

Jingpo: mainly distribute in Yunnan Province; skilled at carving, painting, weaving and embroidering; believe everything has a soul which will never die

Jinuo:live mainly in Yunnan Province; it is an old minority which believes in animism; rice and corn are their staple food; the Iron Forging Festival is their main festival

Kazak: mainly dwell in Xinjiang, Gansu and Qinghai; love music and have many unique musical instruments such as Dongbula; believe in Islam

Kirgiz: most live in Xinjiang; they are skilled at literature, music, sports and handicrafts; they are also skilled at animal husbandry; some believe in Islam and some believe in Tibetan Buddhism

Lahu: most are scattered around the Lancangjiang Lahu Autonomous County; they believe in Mahayana and regard black as the most beautiful color

Li: mainly live in the middle and southern part of Hainan Province; their favorite foods are corn, rice and sweet potatoes; they depend on agriculture, breeding and handicrafts industries

Lisu: most live in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces; they mainly live on corn and buckwheat; they have created their own calendar composed of ten months governed by the natural cycle

Luoba: dwell at the foot of Himalayas, and live by both agriculture and hunting; they have unique food customs. Their staple foods are corn, rice and a kind of local grain

Man (Manchu): originated from the Jurchen tribes; they have a long history and a brilliant culture; the founder of the Jin and Qing Dynasties; they have had a great influence on Chinese history

Maonan: mainly distributed in the Huanjiang County of Guangxi Province; they live on agriculture and the hveandicraft industry; their staple foods are rice and corn

Miao: has a relatively larger popular compared with other minorities in China; they are skilled in handicrafts such as paper-cutting, embroidery, weaving, and jewelry casting

Monba: are mainly distributed in Tibet and haves a long history; their staple foods are corn, rice and buckwheat; they are adept at weaving with vines and bamboo vines; they have an interesting wedding ceremony

Mongol: primarily live in Inner Mongolia; they are famous horsemen; their staple foods are meat and milk; their main festival is Nadam Fair

Mulam: a smaller minority group dwelling mainly in Guangxi Province; they believe in natural spirits and are skilled at pottery and iron forging

Naxi: mainly live in Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet; their main activities are handicrafts, stock breeding and farming; most of them believe in Dongba Religion

Nu: mostly live in the southwest of Yunnan Province; they believe everything has spirit; some believe in Christianity and Lamaism; they good musicians

Oroqen: dwell mainly in Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang Province; they are good at hunting and making wares with iron, wood and bone; their staple food is meat

Primi: their main activities are agriculture and livestock; they believe life is influenced by gods and ancestors; they celebrate the Spring Festival, Pure Brightness Festival and Dragon Boat Festival

Qiang: mainly live in Aba, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province; their staple foods are beef, mutton, chicken, fish, corn, wheat and potatoes

Russ: derived from Russian immigrates in 18th Century; most live in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; they celebrate Christmas Day and Easter Day

Salar: mainly live in Qinghai, Gansu and Xinjiang Provinces; they make a living from horticulture, handicrafts and agriculture

She: most live in Fujian and Zhejiang Provinces; they believe in the influence of ancestors and totems; their staple foods are corn, rice, beans and potatoes

Shui: are  mainly distributed in Guizhou Province; they have their own language; they are good at stone-carving, paper-cuts, silver jewelry-making and batik techniques

Tagik: have splendid culture and a long history; their main occupations are agriculture and stock husbandry; they believe in Islam and lay great stress upon day to day etiquette

Tatar: mainly live in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; they have their own language; follow Islam; their main activities are agriculture, stock husbandry and handicrafts

Tu: are mainly distributed throughout the Qinghai and Gansu Provinces; they practice Animism and Taoism; their main activities are agriculture, stock husbandry and sheep breeding

Tujia: are distributed widely throughout Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou and Sichuan Provinces; they believe in the great influence of their gods and ancestors; their main activities are agriculture and fishing

Uygur: mainly live in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regions; they believe in Islam; their unique staple foods are nang, zhuafan and noodles

Uzbek: mainly live in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regions; they believe in Islam; their main activities are stock breeding and handicrafts industries

Wa: mainly live in Yunnan Province; thier main activity is agriculture; some believe in Buddhism and some belive in Christianity; their staple diet is rice

Xibe: are distributed throughout Jilin, Liaoning and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region; their main activities are stock husbandry and agriculture; their staple foods are wheat flour, rice and mutton

Yao: are distributed widely throughout the mountainous areas in the south of China; their staple foods are corn, rice and potatoes and they like drinking tea and homemade wines

Yi: widely live in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Guangxi Provinces; they have a long history and a splendid culture; they have many beliefs and unique customs

Yugur: mainly live in Gansu Province; they are typical nomads and depend on stock breeding; they believe in Lamaism and preserve many traditional cultures through folk tales, legends and ballads

Zang (Tibetan): mostly live in the Tibetan Autonomous Region; they believe in Tibetan Buddhism (also called Lamaism); their staple foods are Tsamba, butter tea, mutton and beef

Zhuang: are the largest minority group in China; they mainly living in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; they have a long history and splendid culture