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Hainanese (ethnic)
Encyclopedia
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
. The term "Hainanese" was frequently used by the Hainanese Han
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
(海南漢人) who are the majority in the island, to identify themselves overseas. Nevertheless, other natives of the island such as Li (Hlai)
Li people
The Li or Hlai are a minority ethnic group, the vast majority of whom live off the southern coast of mainland China on Hainan Island, where they are the largest minority ethnic group...
(黎族), Miao
Miao people
The 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...
(苗族), and Utsuls also use the term.
History
Most Hainanese Han people were originally fishermenFisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
from the Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
and Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
provinces who later settled in Hainan, while the Li
Li people
The Li or Hlai are a minority ethnic group, the vast majority of whom live off the southern coast of mainland China on Hainan Island, where they are the largest minority ethnic group...
natives came to the island earlier from the mainland
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
.
Similarly to Fujian and Guangdong province, Hainan has been the source for much migration. Most of the Chinese diaspora trace their ancestry through these three provinces. Towards the turn of the 20th century, many of them migrated to the various Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
n countries, where they worked as cooks, restaurateurs, coffeeshop owners, sailors, and hoteliers. In fact, the person who actually created the world-famous Singapore Sling
Singapore Sling
The Singapore Sling is a cocktail that was developed sometime before 1915 by Ngiam Tong Boon , a bartender working at the Long Bar in Raffles Hotel Singapore...
at the renowned Singapore Raffles Hotel
Raffles Hotel
Raffles Hotel is a colonial-style hotel in Singapore, and one of the world's most famous hotels. The hotel was established by the famous Armenian Sarkies Brothers. Opened in 1887, it was named after Singapore's founder Sir Stamford Raffles. Managed by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, it is...
, Mr. Ngiam Tong Boon, was himself a Hainanese.
Language
In Hainan, Mandarin (Putonghua) is typically the lingua franca as is anywhere in China. With Hainan's proximity to Guangdong, some locals can also speak CantoneseCantonese
Cantonese is a dialect spoken primarily in south China.Cantonese may also refer to:* Yue Chinese, the Chinese language that includes Cantonese* Cantonese cuisine, the cuisine of Guangdong province...
. The local Han Chinese speak Hainanese as their mother tongue, it is a Min-Nan dialect and is also known as Qiongwen. The Hainanese dialect is unique in that it is mutually unintelligible to even other Min-Nan dialects (such as Hokkien
Hokkien
Hokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
or Teochew). Because of this, many argue that the Hainanese dialect is in fact, a separate language altogether. However, Hainanese speakers are generally able to pick up on other Min-Nan dialects easily due to some similarities. Although conversely, Hainanese is often said to be difficult to learn even by other Min-Nan speakers because of its odd tone structure and unusual consonants that are unlike any other Chinese "dialect". The Wenchang
Wenchang
Wenchang is a county-level city located in the north east of Hainan province, China. It was promoted from a county to a city on November 7, 1995, and had a population of 86,551 in 1999...
dialect is considered to be the prestige dialect.
Cuisine
The Hainanese are known for their signature dishes such as the Hainanese Chicken RiceHainanese chicken rice
Hainanese chicken rice is a dish of Chinese origin most commonly associated with Hainanese and Singaporean cuisine, although it is also commonly sold in neighbouring Thailand and Malaysia...
, Wenchang chicken
Wenchang Chicken
Wenchang chicken , is a type of chicken and a chicken dish from the Wenchang city area in Hainan, China.-Chicken:This variety of small, fleshy free-range chicken is fed coconut and peanut bran. During the last two months before going to market, they are kept in coops above the ground.-Dish:Wenchang...
, Hainanese Pork Chop, Hainanese Mutton Soup, Hainanese Salted Fish Soup and beef noodle soup
Beef noodle soup
Beef noodle soup is a Chinese noodle soup made of stewed beef, beef broth, vegetables and Chinese noodles. It exists in various forms throughout East Asia and Southeast Asia. It was created by the Hui people during the Tang Dynasty of China.In the West, this food may be served in a small portion...
. In Singapore, one can find some of these signature dishes served at the various eateries located along Purvis Street - which is often referred to as "Singapore's Hainan Street". Hainanese Chicken Rice is oddly more popular in Singapore than in Hainan and is often labelled as Singapore's national dish
National dish
A national dish is a dish, food or a drink that is considered to represent a particular country, nation or region.A dish can become a national dish for a variety of reasons. It can be the national dish because it is a staple daily food for the majority of the population. It can also be the national...
.
Arts
Hainanese Opera (Qiong Opera) is a passion for many Hainanese, particularly for the older generation. Enriched with local flavours, Hainanese Opera is part and parcel of Hainanese culture.See also
- Hoklo peopleHoklo peopleThe Hoklo people are Han Chinese people whose traditional Ancestral homes are in southern Fujian of South China...
- Min NanMin NanThe Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
- Thai ChineseThai ChineseThe Thai Chinese are an overseas Chinese community who live in Thailand. Thailand is home to the largest, oldest, most prominent, and most integrated overseas Chinese community in the world with a population of approximately 9.5 million people...
- Malaysian ChineseMalaysian ChineseMalaysian Chinese is a Malaysian of Chinese origin. Most are descendants of Chinese who arrived between the fifteenth and the mid-twentieth centuries. Within Malaysia, they are usually simply referred to as "Chinese" in all languages. The term Chinese Malaysian is also sometimes used to refer to...
- Singapore Chinese
- Han ChineseHan ChineseHan Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
- Li peopleLi peopleThe Li or Hlai are a minority ethnic group, the vast majority of whom live off the southern coast of mainland China on Hainan Island, where they are the largest minority ethnic group...
- Yangpu Ancient Salt FieldYangpu Ancient Salt FieldThe Yangpu Ancient Salt Field is an archeological heritage site in Yantian village, on Yangpu Peninsula, Hainan, China. The area comprises more than 1,000 stones, cut flat on top, used to evaporate seawater to produce salt. The stones have a thin rim around the edge to contain the water. During...