Chinese ethnic minorities

A daughter’s devotion and a dedicated group of internet volunteers have solved a decades-old mystery that shattered one family and haunted another. The daughter, Li Yantao, grew up wondering why her mother looked so different from everyone else in her village. She also spoke a language that nobody could understand. When she was 11 years old, Li found out the truth – her mother had been abducted and sold to her father as a bride five years before Li was born. Determined to help her mother return to her childhood home, Li started a 19-year journey of discovery. Now 30, that dream has come true, thanks to a group of keen internet users. Li learned her mother is 59 years old, of the Buyei ethni

Ethnic Mongols in China are protesting a government decision to expand the use of Mandarin Chinese in schools attended by minority students. The regional government of Inner Mongolia, home to the world’s largest ethnic Mongol population, said last week it planned to have all Mongol pupils study three compulsory subjects – literature, history and ethics – in Chinese. Other subjects, such as maths and arts, will continue be taught in Mongolian. The announcement prompted strong discontent among Mongols in China, with some accusing the Han-dominated central government of erasing the ethnic group’s culture. “If we are not allowed to use our mother tongue, our group will shrink and the ethnicity w

China’s proposed bill on granting permanent residency to foreigners has unleashed a wave of xenophobia on the Chinese internet. Even though China has one of the lowest shares of foreign-born people in the entire world, many people worry that a potential rise in foreign immigrants will make their life harder. In response to the bill, people have posted hostile comments online, especially against black people and Muslims, demanding that the government toughen rules on immigration. We spoke with several fierce opponents of the permanent residency bill about why they do not want more immigrants in China.