Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture


Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is an autonomous prefecture in southeastern Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China, and is the easternmost prefecture-level division of the province. It borders Baise, Guangxi, to the east, Vietnam's Tuyên Quang Province to the south for, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture to the west, and Qujing to the north.

Subdivisions

Ethnic groups

Wenshan is highly diverse. According to a local saying, "Han and Hui live by the market, Zhuang and Dai live by the water, Miao and Yi live on the mountains, and Yao live among the valleys."
Some of Wenshan's ethnic groups include:
  • Han Chinese
  • Tai peoples
  • *Zhuang ; 4 branches according to Johnson )
  • **Nong
  • **Sha 沙
  • **Tu 土
  • **Min
  • *Dai
  • **Tai Hongjin - Maguan County
  • Kra peoples
  • *Buyang - Funing County, Guangnan County
  • *Lachi - Maguan County
  • *Gelao - Malipo County
  • *Qabiao - Malipo County
  • Miao–Yao peoples
  • *Miao people
  • **Lopsided Miao
  • **White Miao
  • **Green Miao
  • **Flowery Miao
  • *Yao people
  • Tibeto-Burman peoples
  • *Yi people - Funing County, Guangnan County, Malipo County
  • *Bai people - Qiubei County, Yanshan County, Guangnan County
  • Mon-Khmer peoples
  • *Bolyu - Guangnan County
  • *Bugan - Guangnan County, Xichou County
Yunnan lists Jiazhou 甲州, Longjiang 龙降, Tusi 土司, and Bendi 本地 as Zhuang subgroups of unknown linguistic affiliation.

Yi

The Wenshan Prefecture Gazetteer and the Wenshan Prefecture Ethnic Gazetteer list the following Yi ethnic subdivisions in Wenshan Prefecture.
  • Luo
  • *White Lolo
  • **Mokong of Funing and Guangnan counties
  • **Mudai of Funing and Napo counties
  • *Black Lolo : in Qiubei, Yanshan, and Wenshan counties
  • *Flowery Lolo : in Funing, Guangnan, Malipo, Xichou, Maguan, and Yanshan counties
  • Pu
  • *Black Phula
  • *White Phula
  • *Flowery Phula
  • Sani : in Qiubei County
  • Awu
  • *Lai : in Xisa 西洒镇, Xichou; Daping 大坪镇 and Nanwenhe 南温河乡 of Malipo
  • Gepu : in Tiechang 铁厂乡 and Donggan 董干镇 townships of Malipo County
  • Axi : in Wenshan, Yanshan, and Qiubei counties
  • Lalu : in Nanping 南屏镇

    Yao

The Wenshan Prefecture Gazetteer lists the following Yao ethnic subdivisions in Wenshan Prefecture.
  • Men or Jinmen
  • Mengmian or Youmian
  • Xiu or Ya : in Longmen and Longshao of Funing County, and in Tiechang, Jinchang, and other locations of Malipo County

    Demographics

Among the resident population, the Han population is 1,501,852, accounting for 42.69% of the total population; the ethnic minorities population is 2,016,089, accounting for 57.31% of the total population.By the end of 2024, the resident population of the whole state was 3.372 million.
National nameHanZhuangHmongYiYaoHuiDaiBaiBuyiMongolOthers
Population150184810272824812393515978770924774157769130725756555679
Proportion of total population 42.6929.2013.689.992.490.700.450.260.210.160.16
Proportion of minority population ---50.9523.8717.444.351.230.780.450.360.280.28

Gelao

The Wenshan Prefecture Gazetteer 文山壮族苗族自治州志 lists the following Gelao ethnic subdivisions in Wenshan Prefecture. The Gelao of Wenshan are also locally known as the Laobazi 老巴子 or Bazi 巴子.
  • White Gelao
  • Green Gelao
  • Red Gelao
  • Flowery Gelao or Pipao Gelao )

    History

The prefecture has been inhabited for at least 4000 years, as evidenced by surviving neolithic rock art in Malipo County. The Yelang kingdom existed in the area during the 3rd century BC.
The seat of Guangnan, known today as Liancheng, was the heart of the Gouding Kingdom that lasted approximately 400 years, from 111 BC to 316 AD.

Transportation

  • Wenshan Airport