China Nationalities Museum
Encyclopedia
The China Ethnic Museum is a museum in Beijing
, China
, located just to the west of the Olympic Green
. It features displays of the daily life and architecture of China's 56 ethnic groups.
As stated on its website, the museum's goals are as follows:
Construction began in October 1992. The North Section was opened to the public on June 18, 1994, and the South Section was opened in September 2001. Construction has continued through 2008 and will continue following the 2008 Summer Olympics
. The museum covers approximately 50 hectares and so far comprises 44 ethnic villages and 200 ethnic buildings. There are 800 staff members comprising various Chinese ethnic groups. All buildings are constructed to a ratio of 1:1.
At the museum, several ethnic groups grow traditional crops such as paddy rice or buckwheat, and each day Tibetan
lamas from the Tar Monastery of Qinghai
chant Buddhist sutras.
The museum has also collected approximately 100,000 cultural relics, and exhibits items representing the daily life of China's ethnic groups.
The museum's curator is Wang Ping.
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, located just to the west of the Olympic Green
Olympic Green
The Olympic Green is an Olympic Park in Beijing, China constructed for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Since then, the streets around the park have been used for an exhibition street race of the FIA GT1 World Championship in 2011, after a race at Goldenport Park Circuit in the vicinity.- Beijing...
. It features displays of the daily life and architecture of China's 56 ethnic groups.
As stated on its website, the museum's goals are as follows:
- To demonstrate ethical architecture
- To preserve ethical relics
- To spread ethical knowledge
- To study ethical heritage
- To enhance ethical culture
- To promote unity of all Chinese ethnic groups
Construction began in October 1992. The North Section was opened to the public on June 18, 1994, and the South Section was opened in September 2001. Construction has continued through 2008 and will continue following the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. The museum covers approximately 50 hectares and so far comprises 44 ethnic villages and 200 ethnic buildings. There are 800 staff members comprising various Chinese ethnic groups. All buildings are constructed to a ratio of 1:1.
At the museum, several ethnic groups grow traditional crops such as paddy rice or buckwheat, and each day Tibetan
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
lamas from the Tar Monastery of Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
chant Buddhist sutras.
The museum has also collected approximately 100,000 cultural relics, and exhibits items representing the daily life of China's ethnic groups.
The museum's curator is Wang Ping.
Ethnic activities
Festivals and cultural activities featured by the China Ethnic Museum include the following:- Tibetan Shoton Festival
- Tibetan New Year
- The New-rice Festival of the VaVa peopleThe Va nationality lives mainly in Northern Burma, in the northern part of Shan and eastern Kachin States, near and along the border with China. Their defacto capital is Pangkham in the unofficial Wa State in North Eastern Shan state. The majority of the Va live in Burma...
- The Sowing Festival of the Va
- The Sanduo Festival of the NaxiNakhiThe Nakhi are an ethnic group inhabiting the foothills of the Himalayas in the northwestern part of Yunnan Province, as well as the southwestern part of Sichuan Province in China....
- The Munao Singing Festival of the Jingpo
- The Water-splashing FestivalThai New YearThe Songkran festival is celebrated in Thailand as the traditional New Year's Day from 13 to 15 April. It coincides with the New Year of many calendars of South and Southeast Asia....
of the DaiDaiDai can mean:* Dai people, one of the 56 recognized ethnic minorities of China* Dai , ethnic tribe of Chin, Myanmar* Dai County, in Shanxi, China* Dai , a state during the Spring and Autumn Period... - The Third of March Festival of the Bai
- The Huaer Fair of the Tu
- The Nandun Festival of the Tu
- The Sheba Festival of Tujia
- The Chahua Festival of the Yi
- The Knife-shaft Festival of MiaoMiao peopleThe Miao or ม้ง ; ) is an ethnic group recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China as one of the 55 official minority groups. Miao is a Chinese term and does not reflect the self-designations of the component nations of people, which include Hmong, Hmu, A Hmao, and Kho Xiong...
- The Dragon-boatDragon boatA dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft traditionally made, in the Pearl River delta region of southern China - Guangdong Province, of teak wood to various designs and sizes. In other parts of China different woods are used to build these traditional watercraft...
Festival of the Miao - The Horse Milk Festival
- The Pepper Festival of the Salar
- Raoshanlin Singing Festival of the Bai
- The Fashion Show of the Yi