Mandarin Chinese for Beginners. Yi Ren

      China has fifty-six ethnic groups officially recognized by the government. The largest group is Han, which constitutes around 90% of the total population. Some of the minority groups include Zhuang, Man, Hui, Miao, Uighurs, Yi, Tu Jia, Mongols, Tibetans, Koreans, Bai and Sa Ni, and many more. The population of the minority groups has grown faster than that of the Han, especially since 1980. This is because minority Chinese do not have to follow the one-child policy, while Han Chinese do. However, since 2017, the Chinese government stopped the one-child policy and allows families to have a second child. Most of the minority groups’ people live in the southwest and northwest parts of China, although most of the minority Koreans live in the northeast area of China.

      Most ethnic groups have their own traditions and customs, spoken languages, holidays and celebrations. Their foods and eating habits, clothes, songs and dances also differ from those of the Han. The arts are distinctive too. For example, some minority groups living in the southwest are famed for their batik skills, 蜡染 là rǎn in Chinese. Their beautifully dyed cloth features unique designs and colors, and is used to make products ranging from clothes to bags to tablecloths. Most have very bright colors, but in the Gui Zhou area, batik cloths are blue and white. Why? It’s because Gui Zhou produces a special “blue grass” that’s used to make their unique blue dye.

      There have been many Chinese movies about Chinese minorities. Among them, “刘三姐 Liú sān jiě,” “阿诗玛 Ā shī mǎ,” “五朵金花 Wǔ duō jīn huā,” and “冰山上的来客 Bīng shān shàng de lái kè” are especially well-known. These movies described some of their love stories and cultures, and were widely popular when they were produced before the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976). In fact, some of the songs from these movies are still very popular in China now, and some are available with English subtitles.

       For Your Enjoyment

      Commonly heard in China, these two idioms and a line from a poem describe friendship in different ways. Enjoy them.

      

      志同道合 Zhì tóng dào hé (an idiom): To have the same ambitions, ideas, and interests.

      情同手足 Qíng tóng shǒu zú (an idiom): Two people as close as hands and feet.

      海内存知己，天涯若比邻 Hǎi nèi cún zhī jǐ, tiān yá ruò bǐ lín (from a poem): Even when far from each other, true friends’ deep understanding of each other brings a distant land closer.

      Here is a well-known Tang (618–907) poem. Chinese often cite the last two sentences to encourage young people or friends.

      ASCENDING THE STORK TOWER

       by Wang Zhi Huan

      The dimming sun sags into the far peaks;

      The Yellow River glides into the Bohai Sea. . . .

      I yearn to climb to a higher story, and exhaust my eyes

      In gazing out over a thousand li.*

Dēng guàn què lóu登 鸛 雀 樓
				Wáng Zhī Huàn王 之 渙
Bái	rì	yī	shān	jìn,
白	日	依	山	盡，
huáng	hé	rù	hǎi	liú.
黃	河	入	海	流。
Yù	qióng	qiān	lǐ	mù,
欲	窮	千	里	目，
gèng	shàng	yī	céng	lóu.
更	上	一	層	樓。

      * li = a half kilometer

       Suggestions

      As in most western countries, when people get together or attend a party in China, they often like to share drinks. Long ago, wine wasn’t popular in China. Chinese preferred to drink liquors, normally called 白酒 bái jiǔ in Chinese. But since China opened its doors to the western world, western-style wines, both red and white, have also been welcomed by Chinese, especially by the younger generation. White wine should, strictly speaking, be translated into Chinese as 白葡萄酒 bái pú táo jiǔ. But more often, for convenience, Chinese just use the shortened term “白酒 bái jiǔ” to order white wine, instead of saying 白葡萄酒 bái pú táo jiǔ. As a foreigner in China, you need to know the difference between 白葡萄酒 bái pú táo jiǔ and 白酒 bái jiǔ. If you don’t want to drink Chinese liquor, the literal “白酒 bái jiǔ,” at an event, a party or a restaurant, you need to make sure that your order for wine is clear…it is safest to say “I would like to have a glass of 白葡萄酒 bái pú táo jiǔ.”

      On

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