Han Chinese

Han Chinese ({{zh-stp|s=汉族 |t=漢族 |p=hànzú}}) is a term which refers to the majority ethnic group within China and the largest single human ethnic group in the world. The Han Chinese constitute about 91 percent of the population of mainland China and about 19 percent of the global human population. The name was occasionally translated as the "Chinese proper" in older texts (pre-1980s) and is commonly rendered in Western media as the "ethnic Chinese."

Ethnic Han Unity or Disunity?

Han Chinese believe they share common ancestors, mythically ascribed to the patriachs Yellow Emperor and Yan Emperor, some thousands of years ago.

Related Topics:
Yellow Emperor - Yan Emperor

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Hence many Han Chinese refer to themselves as "descendants of the Yan and Yellow Emperors" (Traditional Chinese: ????; Simplified Chinese: 炎黄子孙), a phrase which has reverberative connotations in a divisive political climate, as in that between Mainland China and Taiwan.

Related Topics:
Traditional Chinese - Simplified Chinese - Political - Mainland China - Taiwan

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Despite the existence of many varied and diverse Chinese spoken languages, one factor in Han ethnic unity is the Chinese written language. For thousands of years, Literary Chinese was used as the standard written format, which used vocabulary and grammar significantly different from the various forms of spoken Chinese. Since the 20th Century written Chinese has been usually based on Standard Mandarin and not the local dialect of the writer (with the exception of the use of Standard Cantonese in writing). Thus, although the residents of different regions would not necessarily understand each other's speech, they would be able to understand each other's writing. It has also led to dialectal literature being slow to develop in the few dialects where it has developed at all. One of the few dialects to successfully diverge in the written form is Cantonese, particularly in Hong Kong. But with the predominance of Han-based writing and literature, local languages have not become a focus for regional self-consciousness or nationalism.

Related Topics:
Chinese spoken language - Chinese written language - Literary Chinese - 20th Century - Standard Mandarin - Standard Cantonese

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Han Chinese usually wear Western-style clothing. Traditional Han Chinese clothing is still worn by many people in important occasions such as wedding banquets and Chinese New Year. Ironically though, the attire most worn by traditional Han Chinese during festive seasons nowadays, the cheongsam, comes not from the Han Chinese but from a modified dress-code of the Manchurians.

Related Topics:
Western - Han Chinese clothing - Cheongsam - Manchurian

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Within some variants of Chinese nationalist theory, including the official version espoused by the People's Republic of China, China is composed of many ethnic groups, and promoting the interest and culture of Han Chinese at the expense of the other ethnic groups is known as Han chauvinism, which has a pejorative meaning. However, another interpretation of Chinese nationalist theory takes the very opposite view and considers only the Han Chinese to be true Chinese and thus equates Chinese nationalism with Han nationalism.

Related Topics:
Chinese nationalist theory - People's Republic of China - Han chauvinism

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