China officially has55 ethnic minorities，and one majority, the Han Chinese. The ethnic peoples are concentrated in the south, west, and remoter northern regions of China.
Cities are more heavily populated by Han Chinese than the surrounding countryside, even in minority autonomous regions, so most minority attractions and the purest ethnic culture is usually found outside the cities. Therefore "cities" here usually refers to the prefecture associated with the city.
Below are China's top eight minority cities, chosen for their accessibility to tourists, and range of minorities represented.
1. Kaili
Kailiis the minority capital of China. It is known as "the city of festivals" because of the more than 100 festivals held each year, mostly by the Miao minority. The most famous is probably theSisters Meals Festival. Kaili has manyMiao villagesopen to tourists. There is also anEthnic Minorities Museum.
2. Lhasa
- Location:Tibet，West China
- Minority:Tibetan
- KeyTibetan Festivals:Tibetan New Yearor Losar (March),Shoton Festival(late August).
Lhasais truly a minority city. Capital of the roof of the world and center of Tibetan culture, Lhasa'sPotala Palace，and the Dalai Lama who lived there, once represented the supreme authority for this people group. Now part of China,Tibetexists as an Autonomous Region still governed from Lhasa. Thetemples and monasteries around Lhasaare the most important for Tibetan Buddhists.
3. Xishuangbanna
- Location:SouthernYunnan Province，South China
- Minorities:Dai，Hani
Xishuangbanna is China's most rainforested prefecture, bordering Myanmar and Laos. Its tropical lush environment supports theDaiandHanipeoples, who make up about 30% and 20% of the local population respectively. There are severalDai minority attractionsincludingManting Parkand theOctagonal Pavilion. The DaiWater Splashing Festivalis held April 13–15.
4. Guilin (including Longsheng and Yangshuo)
The city ofGuilinis mostly Han-ized, but Guilin'sfamous karst countrysidehas been the traditional home of China's largest minority, theZhuang，for centuries. There are several designatedYaominority districts, and Gongcheng is a Yao County, famous for itsoil tea.
阳朔's countryside, particularly along thepopular cycling routes，is populated byZhuangfarmers. The legendary Zhuang "Song Fairy", Liu's Third Daughter, is honored to the point of worship by some. Her statue is paraded during theZhuang Song Festivalin April, and her story is told in the on-river showImpression Liu Sanjie，which also features other minority songs.
Then there isLongsheng，known for itsDragon's Back Rice Terraces，where the long-haired women of the RedYaolive. TheirRed Clothes Festivalis in April. TheZhuangof nearby ‘Safe and Sound' Village have kept more of their costume and customs than those of Yangshuo. Further into the Longsheng mountains areDongandMiaovillages.
5. Lijiang
- Location:WestYunnan Province，South China
- Minorities:Naxi，Tibetan，Bai，Yi
Lijiangin the tall mountains of theYangtze Upper Reachesis home to several minorities.Lijiang Ancient Town，Shuhe Ancient Town，Baisha Old Town，andDongba Villagedisplay traditional Naxi architecture and are showcases for the culture of theNaxi people. Discover the Mosuo people ofLugu Lake，and further up into the mountains are Tibetan, Bai, and Yi peoples.
6. Hohhot
- Location:CentralInner Mongolia，Central North China
- Minorities:Mongol，Hui，Manchu
Hohhotis the capital of Inner Mongolia. While it is not the most ethnic city (only 13% minority people), it is the most accessible city with Mongol culture.The grasslands of Hohhot Prefectureare the place to see the nomadic pastoral lifestyle of the Mongols.Naadam，the Mongolian outdoor sports festival is celebrated in July/August on these grasslands.Mongol foodis highly recommended.
7. Kunming
- Location:CentralYunnan Province，South China
- Minorities:Yi，Hui，Bai，Miao，Lisu,Zhuang，Dai，Hani，Naxi，and others
Kunmingis truly a minority city with all ofYunnan's 25 ethnic minorities represented, although 80% of the city population are Han. To get an impression of the variety of peoples living in Yunnan we recommend you seeYunnan Ethnic Village，a convenient way to experience many Chinese ethnic cultures without having to journey to a remote location.
8. Turpan
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regionhas the greatest number of minorities of any Chinese region. The majority are Turkic/ Central Asian and Muslim in origin, like theUygur，Kazakhs，Hui，and Kirghiz. OutsideUrumqi，mostXinjiang citiesare predominantly ethnic.Turpanis one of the more accessible of these. VisitGrape Valleyto get in amongst Uygur culture, and for Uygur-style architecture seeEmin Minaret.
Other Minority Cities
Some minorities have autonomous regions set aside for them, so if you are interested in these minorities, just go to the cities in their region.
- Zhuang:The Zhuang are concentrated north ofNanning，aroundLiuzhou，and in Central, North, and WestGuangxiand surrounding provinces.
- Hui:Ningxiais a small region set aside for the Hui people, but the Hui are China's most widely spread minority, and can be found in every province and all the large cities. Just look for the mosques.
- Uygurs:The Uygurs' autonomous region isXinjiang，Northwest China.
- Mongols:Chinese Mongols mainly live inInner Mongolia.
- Tibetans:All cities in Tibet could be called minority cities asTibetansand their culture predominate wherever you go inTibet.
We also recommend the following cities for their minority attractions and popularity with tourists:Shigatse，Dingri (Shannan)，andShangri-la (Diqing)for Tibetan culture;Dalifor Tibetan and Bai culture;KashgarandUrumqi，for Uygur and other Muslim peoples;Kanas，Erdos, andHulunbuir，for Mongol grassland culture;Sanjiangfor Dong culture; andFenghuangfor Sanjiang Miao Village.
探索China's Minority Culture
Yao people in GuilinIf you are interested in the colorful minority culture and want to explore it by yourself, please see the tours below for inspiration:
- 6-Day Guizhou Ethnic Minorities Festival Tour
- The Diverse Minorities— 17 Days Guilin-Sanjiang-kaili-Kunming-Lijiang-Shangri-la
- Classic Wonders— 11-Day Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin, and Shanghai Tour
China Highlights is your China tour tailor-making expert. As an alternative to customizing the recommended tours linked above to meet your individual requirements, we can help youtailor-make a first time tourfrom scratch, doing the things you want in the order you want. Our consultancy and tour design service is FREE!
