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So, you've stumbled upon this slightly bizarre but devilishly intriguing question: "Which tribe do the Chinese come from?" Well, I might as well tell you right away: it's not a question you hear every day... but it's an excellent question!
No, the Chinese aren't descended from a single tribe straight out of an Asian fantasy novel, wearing pointy hats and wielding magic swords. But they do have an ethnic, cultural, and historical background that we can trace, and that's what we're going to explore together—without getting bored, we promise.
Hold on to your chopsticks, we're going on a journey through time... and genes.
Before I reveal everything, let's be clear on one thing: the Chinese don't come from ONE tribe. It's like asking which pizza Italians come from. It's a little more complicated than that. The history of the Chinese people is a mix of migrations, mergers, conquests, and the gradual unification of very different peoples—a bit like the diversity we find today in Chinese accessories , reflecting multiple influences over the centuries.
The idea that there is a "mother tribe" from which all Chinese people are descended is a bit like thinking that all French people are descended from Vercingetorix. It's flattering, but very approximate.
So where do these Chinese people come from? Spoiler: they come from several ethnic, geographic, and linguistic groups that can be grouped under one umbrella: Chinese civilization .
Let's start with the stars of the cast: the Han family . If you remember one name from this article, make it this one.
The Han are the largest ethnic group in China , now making up over 90% of the Chinese population . Yes, you read that right: 9 out of 10 Chinese people are Han. And their name comes quite simply… from the Han Dynasty , which ruled from 206 BC to 220 AD.
But be careful, the Han did not emerge from nowhere during the Han Dynasty (that would be too simple). This ethnic group gradually formed from a mixture of tribes, kingdoms and peoples settled around the Yellow River .
The Yellow River (the Huang He) is often referred to as the 'cradle of Chinese civilization'. It was here that the first organized kingdoms emerged, and it was in this region that the first proto-Chinese tribes (you see, I'm avoiding the technical word, but we're almost there)—the very ones we sometimes imagine wearing Chinese hats in popular representations—settled.
These peoples, farmers, hunters and herders, eventually formed the first mythical dynasties, such as the Xia , Shang and Zhou . And little by little, these populations merged to give birth to the Han identity.
We talk a lot about the Han, but China is also home to 55 other officially recognized ethnic minorities . So no, not all Chinese are Han. And to understand where the Chinese come from, we need to broaden our perspective.
Among the most well-known minorities are:
The Zhuang : present mainly in the southwest, they are the most numerous after the Han.
The Hui : often Muslim, scattered throughout.
The Miao : known for their colorful clothing and musical traditions.
Uighurs , Tibetans , Kazakhs , etc.
All these peoples have their own languages, customs, dress, and beliefs. Some live in mountainous regions, others in deserts, and still others on fertile plains.
In short, China is a kind of gigantic ethnic patchwork that, over time, has been unified (sometimes willingly, sometimes by force, let's be honest) under a single flag.
Yes, there's history with a capital H, but there are also founding myths, and the Chinese have no shortage of them. Between ancient tales and cultural symbols, even Chinese marbles recount a part of these legends in their own way. To understand where the Chinese 'come from', we must also take a look at their myths.
In Chinese tradition, Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor) is often considered the common ancestor of the Han . He is said to have reigned over 4,000 years ago and founded the first civilized Chinese society.
He was not an emperor in a golden toga on a throne, but rather a mythical tribal chief, a civilizer , who is said to have invented agriculture, medicine, the wheel, music... Nothing less.
And according to legend, it was he who united the different tribes of the Yellow River region to lay the foundations of what we now call China.
Do you believe it? Halfway. But myths often have a historical basis . Huangdi represents, in a way, the collective memory of the unification of several proto-Chinese tribes .
Come on, let's get out the microscope... so to speak. Genetic researchers have also tried to answer the big question: where do the Chinese come from? Behind the exotic clichés— umbrellas, parasols, and Chinese umbrellas —lies a much more complex story than popular imagery suggests.
DNA studies show that the Chinese (especially the Han) are the result of a mixture of populations from northern and southern China. Originally, there were:
People living in the north , around the Yellow River, mainly agricultural.
Others in the south , closer to the peoples of Southeast Asia, with more varied cultures.
It was the contacts, exchanges, conflicts and marriages between these groups that gave rise to the Han people as we know them today .
Don't panic, it's not an insult. The term "barbarian" was used by the ancient Chinese to refer to... pretty much anyone who wasn't them.
Over the centuries, China has been in contact (peaceful or violent) with many other tribes and peoples: the Xiongnu (suspected to be linked to the Huns), the Mongols (hello Genghis Khan), the Tibetans, the Manchus, the Turks... These exchanges have sometimes left unexpected cultural traces, such as the famous Chinese fans , which over time have become a refined symbol of this multicultural heritage.
And these contacts have left their mark on China's genetic and cultural heritage . For example, the Qing dynasty, which ruled until 1912, was Manchu, not Han. This shows that China is a complex historical construct , not a simple genealogical line.
That's a very good question, and it goes far beyond the history of tribes.
Today, being Chinese is first and foremost a question of cultural identity . We speak Chinese (or a dialect), we share certain cultural references, we live according to certain traditions, we celebrate certain holidays (Lunar New Year, anyone?).
The Chinese state strongly promotes national unity , and the sense of belonging to "Chinese civilization" transcends ethnic origins. Even if tensions still exist with certain minorities.
If you've made it this far (congratulations!), you've probably figured out that the answer is: there isn't just one original tribe . But to put it simply:
The Chinese, and particularly the Han, are descended from a mixture of agricultural tribes in northern China (around the Yellow River), which merged over time with other peoples from the south and elsewhere. This cultural richness, visible in popular symbols such as the Chinese Lucky Cat , reflects the legacy of a long history of interbreeding.
They therefore come from a civilization built little by little, through alliances, conquests, exchanges , and not from a single magical village lost in the mountains of central China.
No. But they have common ancestors to varying degrees , like all peoples of the world. If we go back far enough, we are all cousins.
Not at all! Some important dynasties (like the Yuan or the Qing) were originally foreign. And yet, they were integrated into "Chinese" history.
No, not either. Unification took centuries to achieve, and even once "unified," China experienced civil wars, separations, reconquests... It's a soap opera that would make "Game of Thrones" look like a wildlife documentary ( more details here ).
To summarize, the Chinese do not come from a single tribe , but rather from a mosaic of peoples who converged towards a common civilization , the one we call China .
The question "which tribe do the Chinese come from?" does not have a simple answer, but it does have the merit of immersing us in a rich, exciting story full of twists and turns .
So the next time someone asks you that question, you'll know what to say. And you can even give them a quick summary over a cup of tea (or a beer, we don't judge).