Ethnic groups in China

China is a large country noted for its dense population and vast territory. There are 55 minority ethnic groups in addition to the Han who represent 92% of the population. The defining elements of an ethnic group are language, homeland, and social values. 53 minority ethnic groups use spoken languages of their own; 23 minority ethnic groups have their own written languages.
The 55 minority groups are: Mongolian, Hui, Tibetan, Uygur, Miao, Yi, Zhuang, Bouyei, Korean, Manchu, Dong, Yao, Bai, Tujia, Hani, Kazak, Dai, Li, Lisu, Va, She, Gaoshan, Lahu, Shui, Dongxiang, Naxi, Jingpo, Kirgiz, Tu, Daur, Mulam, Qiang, Blang, Salar, Maonan, Gelo, Xibe, Achang, Pumi, Tajik, Nu, Ozbek, Russian, Ewenki, Benglong, Bonan, Yugur, Jing, Tatar, Drung, Oroqen, Hezhen, Moinba, Lhoba and Gelo. All nationalities in China are equal according to the law. The State protects their lawful rights and interests and promotes equality, unity and mutual help among them.
The dominant one, Han, is the largest ethnic group in the world. Han’ culture is very old; it outdates European culture by 1000 years. Han people are very proud people; they constitute the largest lasting civilization in the history.
The language of Han is Mandarine Chinese. It is the most widely spoken language in the world. It is the official language of china for around 220 CE and it is the oldest living language in the world.
Han practice the Confucianism, which is not a religion but rather, a set of rules regarding relationships like for example relationship between father and son. Founded about the same time as Confucianism, most Han are also Taoists. Since Confucianism is not a religion, Han practice both the two of them.
The traditional diet of the Han Chinese consists mainly on rice. It varies quite a bit between regions. In the North, there is more grazing area so Han in the North eat more cattle or chicken, while in the South, fish is more common. Meals are always eaten with family and their time is very important for the Han.
Traditional Han society has 3 basic classes: the one of Mandarin, which is constituted by bureaucrats and aristocrats; the one of peasants, workers and artistes and the one of “mean people”, who are the outcasts of the society. These classes are now banned but there are still some remnants. There is still possibility of social stratification in Han society. It was possible for workers to become Mandarins, but was never possible for “mean people” to attain a status.
The Han have been dominant since the foundation of Chinese Empire except for 2 periods totalling 400 years. The Mandarin class was completely made up of Han and was the massive bureaucracy base in Chinese Empire even in periods where Han were not in direct control.
Robe is the basic clothing of Han even full length or calf length. The front was left cut but was kept closed by a belt. Han valued cloth since it was a rare commodity. The silk was also valued and was given as reward for state service. Excess fabric indicated wealth and prestige and wearing larger and larger clothing conveyed status.
Family is very important for Han society. The oldest male is considered as the head of the household and has to be respected. Traditional Han family consists of the expanded family and not only the nuclear one. Once the father gets old, it is the duty of the son to take care of his dad till his deathn