Source:http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/oldworld/asia/hanchinese.html
Han Chinese
The Han Chinese make up 92% of the population
of China. Therefore, they are the largest ethnic group in the
world. The Han culture itself is very old, outdating many European
cultures by at least a thousand years. The Han are a very proud
people, creating the longest lasting civilization in history.
The language of the Han Chinese is the most widely spoken in the
world. Commonly referred to as Mandarin Chinese, it is actually a
Beijing-based dialect of the Han language. The Han language, in its
various dialects, has been the official language of China since the
Qin Dynasty, or around 220 C.E. Mandarin is the oldest living
language in the world.
While the government of China officially promotes atheism, many Han
still hold traditional beliefs. For well over 2,000 years, China
has practiced Confucianism. Confucianism has held a place at the
center of a traditional Han family since its founding around 500
BCE. Confucianism is not a religion, rather a set of rules
regarding relationships, such as the relationship between a father
and a son. Founded about the same time as Confucianism, most Han
are also Taoists. Since Confucianism is not a religion, most Han
practice a mixture of the two.
The traditional diet of the Han Chinese consists mainly of rice.
The diet also varies quite a bit between different regions. In the
north, where the Mandarin Han are predominant, there is more
grazing area so there is more cattle or chicken consumed. In the
south, where the Cantonese Han are predominant, fish is more
common. Meals are always eaten with the family and this time is
very important to the Han.
Traditional Han society has 3 basic classes. These classes are the
Mandarins (bureaucrats and aristocrats); a class of peasants,
workers and artisans; and the "mean people," those who are outcasts
of society. These classes are now officially banned, but many
remnants remain. While somewhat rigid, there is still the
possibility of social stratification in Han society. In traditional
Han culture, it was possible, through the use of testing, for those
in the workers class to become Mandarins. It was impossible,
however, for those in the "mean people" class to attain
status.
The Han have been dominant in China since the founding of the
Chinese Empire, except for two periods totaling 400 years. The
Mandarin class was completely made up of Han, as was the massive
bureaucracy power base in the Chinese Empire, even during the
periods when the Han were not in direct control.
The basic Han clothing was a robe, which was either full-length or
calf-length. The front of the robe was left cut, but it was kept
closed by a belt. As a rare commodity, cloth was valued by the Han.
Silk was also valued, and was often used to reward service to the
State. Excess fabric was used to indicate wealth and prestige, and
wearing larger and larger clothing, often to the point of
immobilizing the wearer, conveyed status.
To the Han Chinese, family is extremely important. The oldest male
is considered the head of the household, and is to be respected.
Unlike a typical American household where the nuclear family lived
together, the traditional Han family consists of the entire
extended family. Once the father gets old, it is considered the
duty of the son to take care of his father until his death.
Written by: Jon Zetzman