The Three Minorities in Zhangjiajie

Zhangjiajie is located in the northwestern corner of Hunan Province, relatively close to the borders with Hubei Province and Chongqing Municipality. It is rich in water resources despite of being not a coastal city.

The region covers an area of 91,563 square kilometers and has a large population of 1.5 million, 60% of whom belong to the Tujia, Bai and Miao minorities. In addition, there are some Huis, Mans, Tongs and the Yaos. Nearly half of the total population of Zhangjiajie city is minorities.



1. The Tujia
There are various stories about the origin of this tribe. But one thing is clear— the Tujias has a long history. It is a hard-working and brave ethnic group. Shange is Tujias’ favorite folk literature. It includes love poems, war poems and labor poems, i.e. The Tujia is also a versatile nationality. The traditional Hand-waving Dance and Xi Lan Ka Pu (a kind of colorful bed cover) are regarded as the best preferable part of Tujias’ art.

2. The Bai
The Bais are distributed mainly in Dali, Yunnan Province. They have a grand traditional festival: “Dali March Street” which hold from March 15 to March 30 in lunar calendar. And the Rao San Ling, a folk carnival, hold from April 23 to April 25 in lunar calendar. The Bais in Sangzhi County, Zhangjiajie, migrated from Dali, but their tradition and convention haven’t changed.



3. The Miaos
The Miaos are distributed mainly in Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan, Sichuan, Guangxi and Hainan. They are also among the ancient ethnic groups with a long history. The Miaos are good at singing and dancing. Their Lusheng Dance as well as Bench Dance and Monkey Drum Dance are given high praise by the tourists from home and abroad.