There are 56 ethnic (民族的) groups in China, including the Han people who make up 90% of the total population. Each group has its own culture and traditions. Some ethnic groups speak their own languages and have their own style of dress too.
Mongolians live in northern China. They are known for travelling on horses and camels (骆驼). They eat a lot of meat and drink salty tea. Mongolians have many skills, especially they are very good at hunting (狩猎) and horse racing.
Tibetans live in very high mountainous areas in southwestern China. Tibetans have a special tradition of presenting Hada, a long piece of silk, to their dear friends or beloved ones.
The Uygur live in northwestern China. They live in "the Land of Fruit". It's known worldwide for its production of grapes and the Hami melons (哈密瓜).
The Hui people live in more central China, to the north. They practise Islam (伊斯兰教), and many of them are direct descendants (后代) of Silk Road travellers.
The Manchu people live in northeastern China. They took control of the central plain (平原) of China in 1644 and ruled the country for over 200 years until 1911.
There are other important ethnic groups, including the Zhuang, the Yi, the Miao and so on. Most of them are very musical and known for songs and dances.
