Tujia people

The Tujia people are one of the largest ethnic groups in the People's Republic of China, with over 9 million members. They live in the beautiful Wuling Mountains, which stretch across the borders of Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, and Chongqing.

Their name in Chinese, Tǔjiāzú, means "local families," showing they have always lived in one place. This is different from the Hakka people, whose name means "guest families," suggesting they moved from elsewhere.

The Tujia have their own unique language. In Northern Tujia, they call themselves Bifjixkhar, and in Southern Tujia, Mongrzzir. Their own word for their people is Bizika, meaning "native dwellers."

History

The Tujia people may have a history that goes back more than twelve centuries, possibly linking back to the ancient Ba people who lived around today’s Chongqing over 2,500 years ago. Records about the Tujia began to appear around the 14th century.

During the Ming dynasty, Tujia leaders were important and trusted by the emperor because they provided strong soldiers who helped keep peace and protect against invaders. Later, when the Qing dynasty began, changes were made to bring more direct control from the central government. This sometimes caused unrest among the Tujia people.

After the Qing dynasty ended, the Tujia faced difficult times with competing rulers and problems like banditry. When the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, many of these issues were addressed. The Tujia were officially recognized as one of China’s ethnic minorities in 1957. Today, one of China’s top officials, State Councillor Dai Bingguo, comes from the Tujia people.

Culture

The Tujia people are well-known for their singing and creating songs. They have a special dance called the Baishou dance, which has been performed for over 500 years. This dance uses many movements to show scenes from war, farming, hunting, and other parts of their traditional life. They also make beautiful patterned cloth called brocade, known as xilankapu. During their spring festival, they make and eat special handmade glutinous rice cakes called ciba cake. People gather around a fire to sing folk songs and enjoy grilled ciba cakes. They also have a big celebration called the hand-waving sacrifice (Chinese), which mixes religion, dance, and other traditions. It is their most important festival.

The Tujia people have different ways of living based on where they live. Those in lower areas mainly eat rice and grow crops like wheat. They keep animals and fish. The Tujia from mountain areas eat a mix of grains and also keep animals. They have a strong tradition of hunting. People from the high plateaus mainly eat buckwheat and raise sheep, but life there is harder because of cold weather and less water.

Language

Main article: Tujia language

The Tujia people speak a language called Tujia, which is part of the larger Sino-Tibetan language family. Though it shares some features with another language called Nuosu, its words are quite different.

Today, there are only about 70,000 people who still speak Tujia as their first language, and most of them live in a special area in northwestern Hunan Province called Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. Most Tujia people now speak different types of Chinese, especially a version called Southwestern Mandarin. Very few children grow up speaking only Tujia, as they usually learn Chinese from a young age. Even those who can speak Tujia often use many Chinese words and ways of speaking.

Distribution

The Census of 2020 recorded 9,587,732 Tujia people in China. Most of them live in four areas: Hunan Province, Hubei Province, Guizhou Province, and Chongqing Municipality. Together, these areas are home to most Tujia people, with some living in other parts of China.

Hunan Province has the most Tujia people, and they are one of the largest groups there. Hubei Province has the second most, followed by Guizhou Province. Chongqing Municipality has many Tujia people as well, where they make up a good part of the population.

Famous Tujia people

Famous Tujia people

The Tujia people have made notable contributions in various fields. Some well-known Tujia individuals include:

Qin Liangyu

He Long

Xiang Jingyu

Dai Bingguo

Historically, Tujia people have adapted well to Chinese culture and have produced many talented individuals.

• Dai Bingguo, a diplomat in Wen Jiabao's administration
• Lan Xiya, an actress
• Leo Li, an actress and singer
• Liao Guoxun, former mayor of Tianjin
• Ren Zhenhe, former governor of Gansu
• Shang Chunsong, an artistic gymnast and Olympic medalist
• Shen Mengchen, an actress
• He Long, a marshal of the PRC
• Tian Tao, an Olympic weightlifter
• Zhou Xianwang, Mayor of Wuhan
• Zhang Ju, a musician
• Huang Yongyu, a painter
• Ron Monroe, a Chinese actress and singer based in Japan
• Xiang Xuan, a general of the People's Liberation Army
• Qin Haiyang, an athlete and Olympic medalist