The She people (; Shehua: ;

Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding a ...

: ,

Fuzhou Fuzhou (; , Fuzhounese: Hokchew, ''Hók-ciŭ''), alternately romanized as Foochow, is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian province, China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute ...

: ) are an

ethnic group An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

in China. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

. The She are the largest ethnic minority in

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its ...

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Ji ...

, and

Jiangxi Jiangxi (; ; formerly romanized as Kiangsi or Chianghsi) is a landlocked province in the east of the People's Republic of China. Its major cities include Nanchang and Jiujiang. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze river in the north int ...

Provinces. They are also present in the provinces of

Anhui Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze Riv ...

and

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020 ...

. Some descendants of the She also exist amongst the Hakka minority in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the no ...

Languages

Today, over 400,000 She people of

, and

provinces speak Shehua, an unclassified Chinese variety that has been heavily influenced by

Hakka Chinese Hakka (, , ) forms a language group of varieties of Chinese, spoken natively by the Hakka people throughout Southern China and Taiwan and throughout the diaspora areas of East Asia, Southeast Asia and in overseas Chinese communities aroun ...

. There are approximately 1,200 She people in

province who speak a Hmong–Mien language called

She She most commonly refers to: *She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English. She or S.H.E. may also refer to: Literature and films *'' She: A History of Adventure'', an 1887 novel by H. Rider Hagga ...

, also called ''Ho Ne'' meaning " mountain people" (). Some said they were descendants of Dongyi,

Nanman The Man, commonly known as the Nanman or Southern Man (, ''lit. Southern Barbarians''), were ancient indigenous peoples who lived in inland South and Southwest China, mainly around the Yangtze River valley. In ancient Chinese sources, the ...

or Yue peoples. '' Shēhuà'' () should not be confused with (), also known as Ho Ne, which is a Hmong-Mien language spoken in east-central

. Shehua and Sheyu speakers have separate histories and identities, although both are officially classified by the Chinese government as She people. The Dongjia of

Majiang County Majiang County () is a county of southeast-central Guizhou province, China. It is the westernmost county-level division of the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (; Hmu language: ''Qe ...

Guizhou Guizhou (; Postal romanization, formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in the Southwest China, southwest region of the China, People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the pr ...

are also officially classified as She people, but speak a Western Hmongic language closely related to Chong'anjiang Miao ().

History

The She people are some of the earliest known settlers of

; they are thought to have originally settled along the shallow shore for easier

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from fish stocking, stocked bodies of water such as fish pond, ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. ...

access during the

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...

era. Eventually, after an influx of Yuet people moved south during the

Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...

, serious competition between the two peoples for resources developed. From the time of the

Qin dynasty The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin state (modern Gansu and Shaanxi), ...

on, waves of migrants from northern China have had a serious impact on the She people. Because they possessed superior tools and

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, scien ...

, these migrants were able to displace the She and occupy the better land for farming. As a result of this, some of the She were forced to relocate into the hilly areas of the

and

provinces. Following this relocation, the She people became hillside farmers. Their methods of farming included burning grasses on the slope, casting rice seeds on those embers and then harvesting the produce following the growth season. Some of the She people also participated in the production and trade of

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

, obtained from the

evaporation Evaporation is a type of vaporization that occurs on the surface of a liquid as it changes into the gas phase. High concentration of the evaporating substance in the surrounding gas significantly slows down evaporation, such as when h ...

of local pools of salt water. Many conflicts took place between the

Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive v ...

and She peoples. For example, in one incident, She salt producers on

Lantau Island Lantau Island (also Lantao Island, Lan Tao) is the largest island in Hong Kong, located West of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, and is part of the New Territories. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands ...

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

attacked the city of

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ente ...

in a revolt during the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...

. During the Ming-Qing dynasties they moved into and settled Zhejiang's southern region and mountain districts in the Lower Yangtze region, after they left their homeland in Northern Fujian. It is theorized that the She were pushed out of their land by the Hakka, which caused them to move into Zhejiang.

PRC Autonomous Counties and Ethnic Townships

Zhejiang

Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Chinese, Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also Chinese postal romanization, romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the prov ...

* Eshan She Ethnic Township () in Tonglu County

Quzhou Quzhou is a prefecture-level city in western Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. Sitting on the upper course of the Qiantang River, it borders Hangzhou to the north, Jinhua to the east, Lishui to the southeast, and the provinces of ...

* Muchen She Ethnic Township () in Longyou County

Jinhua , alternately romanized as Kinhwa, is a prefecture-level city in central Zhejiang province in eastern China. It borders the provincial capital of Hangzhou to the northwest, Quzhou to the southwest, Lishui to the south, Taizhou to the east ...

* Shuiting She Ethnic Township () in Lanxi City * Liucheng She Ethnic Town () in Wuyi County

Wenzhou Wenzhou (pronounced ; Wenzhounese: Yuziou �y33–11 tɕiɤu33–32 ), historically known as Wenchow is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Zhejiang province in the People's Republic of China. Wenzhou is located at the extreme south east o ...

* Qingjie She Ethnic Township () in Pingyang County * Xikeng She Ethnic Town () in Wencheng County * Zhoushan She Ethnic Township () in Wencheng County * Fengyang She Ethnic Township () in Cangnan County * Dailing She Ethnic Township () in Cangnan County * Siqian She Ethnic Town () in

Taishun County Taishun County () is a county in the prefecture-level city of Wenzhou, in the southern part of Zhejiang province, China, bordering Fujian province to the southeast, south, and west. Taishun County has more than 900 covered bridges, many of them ...

* Zhuli She Ethnic Township () in Taishun County

Lishui Lishui (; Lishuinese: ''li⁶ syu³'' ) is a prefecture-level city in the southwest of Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It borders Quzhou, Jinhua and Taizhou to the north, Wenzhou to the southeast, and the province of Fujian to ...

* Jingning She Autonomous County () * Laozhu She Ethnic Town () in

Liandu District Liandu District () is the central urban district of the prefecture-level city of Lishui in Zhejiang Province, China. It was formerly Lishui County then Lishui county-level city and then Lishui prefecture-level city Administrative divisions S ...

* Lixin She Ethnic Township () in Liandu District * Wuxi She Ethnic Township () in Yunhe County * Anxi She Ethnic Township () in Yunhe County * Zhuyang She Ethnic Township () in Longquan City * Sanren She Ethnic Township () in Suichang County * Banqiao She Ethnic Township () in Songyang County

Anhui

Xuancheng Xuancheng () is a city in the southeast of Anhui province. Archeological digs suggest that the city has been settled for over 4,000 years, and has been under formal administration since the Qin dynasty. Located in the lower Yangtze River drainage ...

* Yunti She Ethnic Township () in Ningguo City

Fujian

Fuzhou Fuzhou (; , Fuzhounese: Hokchew, ''Hók-ciŭ''), alternately romanized as Foochow, is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian province, China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute ...

* Xiaocang She Ethnic Township () in Lianjiang County * Huoko She Ethnic Township () in Luoyuan County

Ningde

* Muyun She Ethnic Township () in Fu'an City * Kangcuo She Ethnic Township () in Fu'an City * Banzhong She Ethnic Township () in Fu'an City * Xiamen She Ethnic Township () in Fuding City * Yantian She Ethnic Township () in Xiapu County * Shuimen She Ethnic Township () in Xiapu County * Chongru She Ethnic Township () in Xiapu County

Zhangzhou Zhangzhou (), alternately romanized as Changchow, is a prefecture-level city in Fujian Province, China. The prefecture around the city proper comprises the southeast corner of the province, facing the Taiwan Strait and surrounding the prefect ...

* Longjiao She Ethnic Township () in Longhai City * Huxi She Ethnic Township () in Zhangpu County * Chiling She Ethnic Township () in Zhangpu County

Nanping

ShunChang County

Quanzhou Quanzhou, alternatively known as Chinchew, is a prefecture-level port city on the north bank of the Jin River, beside the Taiwan Strait in southern Fujian, China. It is Fujian's largest metropolitan region, with an area of and a popul ...

Dehua County

Longyan

* Gongzhuang She Ethnic Township () in Shanghang County * Lufeng She Ethnic Township () in Shanghang County

Jiangxi

Shangrao Shangrao () is a medium-sized prefecture-level city located in the northeast of Jiangxi province, People's Republic of China. The city borders the province of Anhui to the north, the province of Zhejiang to the east, and the province of Fujian t ...

* Taiyuan She Ethnic Township () in Yanshan County * Huangbi She Ethnic Township () in Yanshan County

Yingtan

* Zhangping She Ethnic Township () in

Guixi City Guixi () is a county-level city under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Yingtan, Jiangxi Province, China, bordering Fujian Province to the southeast. The city covers two-thirds of the land area in the municipal region. Like Yuehu D ...

Fuzhou Fuzhou (; , Fuzhounese: Hokchew, ''Hók-ciŭ''), alternately romanized as Foochow, is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian province, China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute ...

* Jinzhu She Ethnic Township () in Le'an County

Ganzhou Ganzhou (), alternately romanized as Kanchow, is a prefecture-level city in the south of Jiangxi province, China, bordering Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, and Hunan to the west. Its administrative seat is at Zhanggong District. Hist ...

* Chitu She Ethnic Township () in

Nankang City Nankang () is a district of the city of Ganzhou in southern Jiangxi Jiangxi (; ; formerly romanized as Kiangsi or Chianghsi) is a landlocked province in the east of the People's Republic of China. Its major cities include Nanchang and Jiuji ...

Ji'an Ji'an () is a prefecture-level city situated in the central region of Jiangxi province of the People's Republic of China while bordering Hunan province to the west. It has an area of and as of the 2020 census, had a population of 4,469,176, of ...

* Donggu She Ethnic Township () in Qingyuan District * Longgang She Ethnic Township () in

Yongfeng County Yongfeng County () is a county of central Jiangxi province, People's Republic of China. It is under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Ji'an. Administration As of 2016, Yongfeng County was made up of 8 Town (China), towns, 13 Townsh ...

* Jinping Ethnic Township () in Xiajiang County

Guangdong

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, sou ...

* Zengcheng

Heyuan Héyuán (, Hakka:Fò-Ngiàn) is a prefecture-level city of Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. As of the 2020 census, its population was 2,837,686 whom 1,051,993 lived in the built-up (''or metro'') area made of Yuancheng ur ...

* Zhangxi She Ethnic Township () in Dongyuan County

Distribution of She people in China

The roughly 45,000 She living in Guizhou Province form a separate subgroup, the Dongjia (), who differ notably in culture from the She in other areas.

Provincial level

In a 2000 census, 709,592 She have been counted in China. ;Distribution of She people in China

District level

;Distribution of She people by district (as of 2000) Only values of 0.5% and greater have been considered.

Notes and references

* * www.zgshezu.com/

External links

Official Website of Jingning She Autonomous County

畲族网
{{authority control Ethnic groups in Fujian Zhejiang *