Our answer
China’s largest minority 壮族
A Tai-speaking people of the far south, four in five of whom live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
The short answer
The Zhuang (壮族, Zhuàngzú) are China’s largest ethnic minority, 19.57 million people in the 2020 census. About 80% live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with others in Guangdong and Yunnan. They speak Tai languages and are known for folk song, bronze drums, Zhuang brocade and the Sanyuesan festival.
| In Chinese | 壮族 (Zhuàngzú), the Zhuang people |
|---|---|
| Population (2020 census) | 19,568,546, the largest of China’s minority groups and second only to the Han |
| Where they live | Mainly Guangxi (15.72 million, 80.3%), then Guangdong (2.02 million) and Yunnan (1.21 million) |
| Language | Zhuang, a group of Tai languages; written in Sawndip characters and, since 1957, a Latin alphabet |
| Known for | Folk song, bronze drums, Zhuang brocade and five-colour sticky rice |
| Main festival | Sanyuesan (三月三), the third day of the third lunar month, usually in April |
Who the Zhuang are and where they live
The 2020 census counted 19,568,546 Zhuang people, up from 16,926,381 in 2010. That makes them the second-largest of China’s 56 officially recognised ethnic groups after the Han, and the largest of the minorities. Across China, the 55 minority groups together numbered 125.47 million in 2020, or 8.89% of the population.
Most Zhuang live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (广西壮族自治区): 15,721,956 people, or 80.34% of all Zhuang in China. Guangdong has about 2.02 million and Yunnan about 1.21 million, mainly in Wenshan in the south-east of the province, with smaller numbers in Zhejiang, Guizhou, Hainan, Fujian and Hunan.
The Zhuang are traditionally wet-rice farmers who settled valley land near streams and ploughed with buffalo or oxen. Many villages were built of houses raised on supports above the ground, rather than directly on it.[1][2][3][4]
Language and the Sawndip script
Zhuang is not one language but a group of Tai languages. Some varieties are not mutually intelligible with one another, and all have been heavily influenced by neighbouring Chinese languages such as Cantonese. Many Zhuang speak Chinese as a second language.
For more than 1,000 years Zhuang has been written in Sawndip (古壮字), a script built from Chinese characters and their parts. It was used for folk songs, operas, poems, letters, contracts and even court documents. A Latin-based Standard Zhuang alphabet was introduced in 1957, but the character-based script remains more common in informal writing.[3][4]
Sanyuesan: the Zhuang song festival
Sanyuesan (三月三, Sān Yuè Sān, ‘Third of the Third’) falls on the third day of the third lunar month, which lands in late March or April. It is the big Zhuang festival of the year, and in 2024 the Guangxi government gave residents a four-day break for it.[5][6][7][8]
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Folk song | People gather to sing in a ‘song market’. Legend says the day honours Liu Sanjie (刘三姐), a singer admired for her songs about work and love, who fell to her death on this date. |
| Embroidered balls | Tossing embroidered balls (绣球) is one of the classic festival games, alongside dancing and singing. |
| Five-colour sticky rice | Families cook glutinous rice dyed white, black, yellow, purple and red with plant juices; black often comes from maple leaves. |
| Bronze drums and music | In 2018 about 1,000 Zhuang played 500 bronze drums together in Nandan county, Hechi, one of around 1,000 events across Guangxi. |
| Family and ancestors | A time for family gatherings, honouring ancestors, praying for a good harvest and, in some areas, weddings. |
| Origins | It is linked to the ancient Shangsi Festival (上巳节) of the Han, which also fell on the third day of the third month. |
Zhuang brocade and bronze drums
Zhuang brocade (壮锦, zhuàngjǐn) is the best-known Zhuang craft. It is counted with Yun, Shu and Song brocade as one of China’s four famous brocades, and its weaving skills were added to the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006. It is woven on a wooden loom worked with hands and feet, with coloured yarn threaded through a bamboo-cage pattern device; a weaver makes only about 10 cm a day. The craft is said to go back to the Han dynasty (202 BC–AD 220).
Bronze drums run through Zhuang history. Customs tied to them were revived as attractions in the late 20th century, and they are still played in large ensembles at festivals.[4][7][9][10]
Where to see Zhuang culture
| Place | Province | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art (左江花山岩画) | Guangxi (Chongzuo, Ningming county) | UNESCO World Heritage since 2016: 38 sites of red cliff paintings along the Zuo and Ming rivers, dating from about the 5th century BC to the 2nd century AD. They show ceremonies linked to bronze drum culture and are thought to be the work of the Luo Yue people, believed to be ancestors of the Zhuang. The main panel is about 170 m wide and 40 m high. |
| Nanning | Guangxi | The regional capital holds folk song performances and heritage displays at Sanyuesan. |
| Longzhou county | Guangxi | Zhuang brocade is still woven and sold in Jinlong township. |
Questions readers ask
Who are the Zhuang people?
The Zhuang are China’s largest ethnic minority, 19,568,546 people in the 2020 census. They are a Tai-speaking people of southern China, and about 80% of them live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
What is the largest ethnic minority in China?
The Zhuang. Only the Han, who make up 91.11% of the population, are more numerous. The next-largest minorities in 2020 were the Uyghur and the Hui, each with about 11 to 12 million people.
Where do the Zhuang live?
Mostly in Guangxi (15.72 million, or 80.34% of all Zhuang in China). There are also about 2.02 million in Guangdong and 1.21 million in Yunnan, with smaller communities in Zhejiang, Guizhou, Hainan, Fujian and Hunan.
What language do the Zhuang speak?
Zhuang, a group of Tai languages. Some varieties are not mutually intelligible. Many Zhuang also speak Chinese, and Zhuang has borrowed heavily from Cantonese and other Chinese languages.
Do the Zhuang have their own writing?
Yes. Sawndip, a script built from Chinese characters, has been used for more than 1,000 years for songs, operas, letters and contracts. A Latin-alphabet Standard Zhuang was introduced in 1957.
What is the Sanyuesan festival?
The main Zhuang festival, on the third day of the third lunar month (late March or April). People sing folk songs, toss embroidered balls, eat five-colour sticky rice and gather with family. Guangxi gives a few days off for it.
What is Zhuang brocade?
A hand-woven, brightly patterned Zhuang textile, counted as one of China’s four famous brocades. Its weaving skills have been on China’s national intangible cultural heritage list since 2006.
Is Guangxi the Zhuang homeland?
Guangxi is where most Zhuang live, and its official name is the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The Huashan rock paintings in south-west Guangxi are thought to be the work of the Luo Yue, believed to be ancestors of the Zhuang.
Sources
- National Bureau of Statistics of China, Communiqué of the Seventh National Population Census (No. 2), 11 May 2021 · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, List of ethnic groups in China (2020 census figures) · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Zhuang people · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- Britannica, Zhuang · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- China Daily Hong Kong, Guangxi Sanyuesan Festival (15 April 2024) · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- China Daily Guangxi, Folk legends of Guangxi Sanyuesan Festival (15 April 2024) · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- China Daily, Traditional ethnic festival travels across Guangxi (19 April 2018) · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- China Daily Guangxi, Colorful sticky rice wakes the taste buds of spring (9 April 2025) · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- CGTN, Zhuang brocade (14 December 2018) · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- People’s Daily Online via Jiangsu Artists, Zhuang brocade products add diversity, vitality to market before Spring Festival (27 January 2025) · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape · accessed 2 Nov 2026
- Wikipedia, Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art · accessed 2 Nov 2026
Update log. 2 November 2026 — reviewed. Next review due 2 February 2027. Suggest a correction