Family Portraits of all 56 ethnic groups in China
December 6th, 2009 by CC | Posted in Life Style | 94 Comments »[ChinaGate] This is a “Family Portrait” of China’s 56 ethnic groups. Chen Haiwen, a photographer, recently lead a team of 14 photographers to create a book entitled, “Harmonious China: A Sketch of China’s 56 Ethnicities.” The team spent one year travelling all over China to complete the project. They ended up taking over 5.7 million photographs.
Thanks Mike, Helena, and Diana!
Tags: Art, ethnic, ethnic minorities, Family Portrait, Photos
Wow this is cool!
I like how some ethnic minorities have ethinc vegtables and ethnic cows and horses. I like the uncles with the ethnic suits as well.
[...] Vir in ostale fotografije: ChinaHush — Harmonious China: A Sketch of China’s 56 Ethnicities [...]
[...] clipped from http://www.chinahush.com [...]
dunno where you found this, but this is awesome. i don’t recall the last time i flipped thru so many pictures (maybe except for those
), so these really captivated me.
great post!
Wtheck – why are Koreans and Taiwanese grouped into this “Harmonious China: A Sketch of China’s 56 Ethnicities”?
B/C there are ethnic koreans living with in the Chinese mainland, just as there are russians and tajiks and kazaks also living within the chinese mainland.
As for the ethnic taiwanese, they also reside in areas where ethnic han have settled and become the dominant majority.
There are about 2 million koreans living in north eastern China.
Taiwanese are in there because it is China’s 56 ethnicities, not just PRC’s. Unless pan-green succeeds in desinicizing the Republic of China, I don’t see the problem.
Well, they also included Tibetans and Uyghurs. The photographers certainly aren’t trying to disguise where their sympathies lie.
Great pics. Would probably be the ultimate coffee table book if you live in China. I’d say the Miao people win on behalf of those awesome silvery headdresses. I’ll keep my eyes out for one here in Yunnan. Anyone think they can handle one of those Mongolian wrestlers in a match?
There is just something about minority girls. My gf is Dai so I own a full set of male Dai ceremonial clothes (thankfully not one of the most expensive ethnic sets). And having travelled down in the Dai areas I can definately say that Dai girls are very feminine, beautiful and graceful. They can also be opinionated and interesting since women traditionally have a lot to say around the house and in financial matters. Many of them study dancing and music when they are young too. Minority girls before Han anytime.
“There is just something about minority girls.” and “Minority girls before Han anytime.”
I can’t believe you would comment like that. You are disgusting. You have major male privilege issues. Who ever gave you the right to decide what the standard of beauty is? You are a low-level, barbaric, disrespectful human being.
Just because you have personally travelled to Dai areas and seen the women, you are not an expert on them. And for your information, women are opinionated in many issues, not just “around the house and in financial matters”. You should try listening.
Some of, if not the vast majority, is stylized romantic political bologna, but at least it was done quite well.
Well I’m sorry, traditional ethnic costume are all made up by the CPC
Is there really an ethnic group called the “Bonan?” Are they traditionally very good at being security guards? Is that why the Hanzi is the same?
how cute haha
they all look the same hyuk hyuk
what was the point of that comment? to show what an ignorant fuckwad you are?
grow up or shut the hell up.
They don’t look the same at all – there is a clear difference between the Southern types (i.e. most of them) and the Northern types (i.e. Oroqen, Korean, Manchu). You could remove the costumes and just have the families and I can tell you which one of those groups they belong to in a split second just by looking at their faces.
I thought the project was very interesting.
But of course my comedian mind shot straight to: Couldn’t they just have rounded up 20 people at a Chinese JCPenney and shot them in different costumes and saved about 364 days?
NO ethnic laowai? Then China can claim 57!
I like how the Russians show up in everyday clothes.
I forgot. Which is the group where women are in charge and take a man whenever they want?
The Mosu… not sure if they were shown here. Many minorities in China are not officially recognized as such (or as a separate minority), either being lumped in with the Han majority, or with other minorities.
Here are all the groups excluded (From Wikipedia):
This is a list of ethnic groups in China that are not officially recognised by the government of the People’s Republic of China.
Gejia (亻革家人, Gèjiā Rén)
Bajia (八甲人, Bājiǎ Rén)
Deng (僜人, Dèng Rén)
Khmu (克木人, Kèmù Rén)
Kucong (Yellow Lahu/Lahu Shi (苦聪人; Traditional: 苦聰人; Kǔcōng Rén)
Mang (芒人, Máng Rén)
Sherpas (夏尔巴人; Traditional: 夏爾巴人; Xiàěrbā Rén)
Tuvans (图瓦人, Túwǎ Rén)
Yi (羿人, Yìrén)
Youtai (犹太; Traditional: 猶太; Yóutài) (Jewish people of China and Jewish people in general)
Immigrants (外国人), of mainly Caucasian descent, as well as Yamato Japanese (大和民族) and Ryukyuans (琉球民族) living as permanent residents in Taiwan
Thanks! Did anyone notice the Mo Su in this album?
I believe it is 纳西民族, (NAXI) sometimes nicknamed 女人国 (women’s country)
i wanna go there, wooooooooo hoooooooooooooooo
If you are wanting to go there so badly, chances are you my friend would not be picked….lmao Better stick to your oriental massages, cause paying is the only way you will be getting that Asian Experience buddy…
I would buy a copy if it was to be reproduced in English.
[...] English Website [...]
Who funded this harmonious project? The same ministry that’s daddy to CCTV?
[...] The project was spearheaded by Chen Haiwen who led a team of 14 photographers to travel for a year around the country taking more than 5.7 million photographs showing ethnic Mongols to ethnic Miao to the ethnic Dong groups garbed in traditional clothing. To see more pictures click here. [...]
Does anyone know where the number 56 comes from? I heard that this number was created in the 1950s as part of a classification project commissioned by the government. Several hundred ethnic groups were up for consideration. I’m not sure how they ended up choosing these 56.
Very cool pics.
I wish i can see the high resolution pics of these 56 groups for more details of their facial features and clothes etc.
Keep it up!
Is this China’s way of making up for their disgraceful display of their “ethnic groups” at the Olympics by using just Han children?
Thank you for this wonderful anthropological images of introducing the multifaceted of ethnicity in China and creating awareness of their existence!
Very cool pictures!
[...] Ethnic Groups of China [...]
Tibetans? WTF?
Will the Laotians be next?
long long ago,tibet had already become a part of china,u can check the china history,even though i am not satisfied with some of the policies of the communist party,but the truth will never changes
WOW some of those ladies are hot.
oh, great photos too.
REALLY? AGAIN? Mr. Mcintosh, your Asian fetish is disgusting!
like i care what you think cunt
go back to your nursing home in florida sweetheart. don’t forget your viagra.
[...] such a massive country as China is just how many ethnicities it manages to contain. China Hush has ‘family portraits’ of all 56 ethnic groups in the country. But why [...]
These photographs are stunning. The backdrop in some of them shows ancestral home with great detail, it adds a sense of continuity. Certainly hope China does not try to assimilate them. What a way to memorialize ethnic diversity. It should be a way of preserving images of other ethnic groups throught the world. Some of them face extinction.
I love the photos, I’m not sure if the backdrop was for lighting purposes, but it would have been great to see the entirety of the background to incorporate the clothing well with their living environment. It would be great to see him take photos of families that speak different languages. I wonder if the clothing was for special occasions or usual daily wear, or whether the clothing is chosen to represent a certain era. I know the Mien, or in here the (yao) does not wear those clothes everyday, only for weddings or special occasions, even in Thailand or Laos it was not worn everyday.
Those mongol pants are the most awesome looking pants ever!
The Qiangs made me laugh….there is only 1 person looking at the camera( the little girl) and everyone else seems to be preoccupied looking at the little boy(?) tipping over. The Qiang on the far left is hilarious!! Didn’t know Asian eyes could open that wide. hahahaha
[...] Retratos de familia de los 56 grupos étnicos de China [...]
That’s a lot of shit going on
Do you think any of them can drive worth a damn?
Dude, grow up. If you’re not going to look at this and be able to appreciate the cultural value without remarks seeped in ignorant stereotypes, then don’t bother.
way to ruin a great photo project by putting up tacky Sears style photo backdrops.
[...] page shows family portraits of each of China’s 56 ethnic groups. There’s great diversity there – there are well-known minorities such as the Uighurs [...]
holy crap! define ‘harmonious’! thats the communist propaganda! between many ethnic people, there has never been real peace, yet it is normal human behaviors. what i detest is to put on the mask of ‘harmonious’!
Being harmonious is the aim. As far as I know, the ethnic groups in China have not fought wars as deadly as the ones fought by europeans in ww1 and ww2.
If you look hard enough, it’s obvious these are in some museum somewhere, very well staged and most likely wax.
[...] Völkergruppen zusammen. Einige davon haben mehr Mitglieder als Berlin Einwohner hat. Auf ChinaHush gibt es eine Galerie, die alle dieser Völker mit Familienbildern porträtiert. Es muss hier jetzt keiner mit [...]
[...] ChinaHush: “This is a “Family Portrait” of China’s 56 ethnic groups. Chen Haiwen, a photographer, recently lead a team of 14 photographers to create a book entitled, [...]
These pictures are beautiful. As an American-born member of one of these ethnic groups in China, I really appreciate the photographer’s work. However, the book’s title is incredibly misleading, given China’s treatement of these ethnic groups and insistence on cultural dominance over them, both currently and historically.
I wish this book would have strived more to really speak about these ethnic groups long history and difficulty under the Chinese government. Just this summer we witnessed extreme ethnic clashes with the minority Uighurs in western China.
Actually, I hope you are not one of the those ignorants watching too much American media and their bias news. I am myself a foreign born Chinese and pretty white washed back then. If you are somewhat educated, please read other news other than CNN or bias European news. I’m not saying everything they are reporting is wrong, but you have to hear the other version. If you have lived in China before (not as a tourist), you will find out what kind of people Uighurs are, I made my experience, but make your’s first.
I think every nation is evil and does whatever it is best for their nation. Daila Lama is just a political figure or a DOG on AMERICAN leash. What if Mexico wants to claim California back, how would you like it? Hell no!
[...] Showing you a family portrait of China 56 different ethnic backgrounds. [...]
that’s cool.I like the pictures. As a native Chinese,I never saw an introduction about all the 56 ethic groups in such well made pictures
How can one get the actual book?
i want to see candid photos of these groups.
When will the book come out? It is great to have photo documentation of the different ethnic groups.
[...] this is how the China Olympics should have looked, instead of having all the ethnic groups represented by Han [...]
Ah yes. And now we know what’s been the Propaganda Arm of the Chinese Communist Party busy of late.
Ah yes. And now we know what’s been keeping the Propaganda Arm of the Chinese Commnist Party busy of late.
Couldn’t agree more with you.
Tired of the word MIAO on here, it should be Hmong
agree
Kazaks win.
I swear I’ve seen some of those outfits in Mexico.
Interesting comment – read Gavin Menzies’ book ‘1421: The year Chinese Discovered America’ (also published as ‘1421: The year Chinese Discovered the World’). There is a lot of evidence pointing to the Chinese being there, as well as a village discovered in the 1800s on the western seaboard of Mexico (or it might have been southern California) where the people spoke a Chinese dialect; wore Chinese traditional garb; and appeared Chinese. Even the chickens (yes!) were the ‘blue skinned’ Chinese variety. A Chinese Treasure Ship wreck from the 1400s was also found near the village.
Tibetans are not part of China. I dont want to be a filthy dogs, snakes and bug eating Chinese.
Well, let them leave and form an independent country already, if you’re so disgusted by them.
I think you may have mixed this up: Nga Gyami Mang does not want Tibet to be part of China and would gladly have Tibet as an independent country.
As far as I can guess, NGM is a foreigner..so I think he should have no problem about being Chinese.
I too find these picture awesome !
However, I have a small technical question… where did you find them ? Is there no copyright ?
Thanks
– Woods
The pictures were found at this link:
http://news.wenxuecity.com/messages/200911/news-big5-952715.html
…which is not working for me right now.
Yes I followed the link but it doesn’t work.
– Woods
Lol @ “Ethnic Minorities in Taiwan” – In Taiwan “Mainlanders” (Waishenren) are considered an ethnic minority. Ethnic groups in Taiwan are as follows: Taiwanese (Hoklo 70%, Hakka 14%), Waishenren 15%, Aborigine 2% (Ami, Atayal, Paiwan, Bunun, Puyuma, Rukai, Tsou, Saisiyat, Yami, Thao, Kavalan, Truku, and Sakizaya).
Awesome …..: )
Manchu PRIDE, bitches.
It would’ve been nice to have a small map with each photo, to get an idea of where exactly each group is located.
But I must say this was very interesting; I had no idea there were that many ethnicities in China.
Great collection! Thanks a lot!
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[...] first is the finished product of a project to travel around China and photograph all 56 ethnic minorities. Although about 90% of the people in China are Han Chinese, the country is very proud of the 55 [...]
[...] They published a the book called “Harmonious China: A Sketch of China’s 56 Ethnicities.” Seen on China Hush. [...]
[...] coolest: Family Portraits of all 56 ethnic groups in China December 6th, 2009 by [...]
[...] at china hush, 中H Posted by Tim Quijano Filed in china ·Tags: china, china hush, ethnic minorities Leave a [...]
If you can read the Chinese you can see most of the Southern Ethnic groups come from the Zhuang Autonomous County, while most the Northern ones are from Jilin or Heilongjiang
You can see the Manchu influence on a lot of these minority costumes, including the influence on the Han majority… the dresses, including mongols, hans, and others did not look like that before the Manchu conquest.
Love the props – these are excellent photographs. Dont’ get family portraits like that in the UK!
[...] La suite des portraits par ici. [...]