Subgroups of the Han Chinese

In Mandarin: "minxi" (ethnic lineages) or "zuqun" (ethnic groups).

These two terms are mostly used in mainland China and Taiwan, respectively, referring to subgroups of the population known as the Han Chinese, whose mother tongue are languages of the Sinitic linguistic family, and who do not belong to one of People's Republic of China's 56 official minority ethnic groups of China.

Han subgroups are most easily grouped according to dialects, into several major groups:

1. Northeastern
2. Central Plain
3. Qilu
4. Shaanxi-Shanxi
5. Shu
6. West of River
7. Southwestern
8. Huai-Yangtze
9. Wu-Yue
10. Hunan
11. Ou-Yue
12. Northern Min
13. Eastern Min
14. Southern Min (Hokkien)
15. Hakka
16. Teochiu (Teochew)
17. Cantonese
18. Hainan
19. Other minor subgroups include speakers of the Ping Chinese dialect, Danjia (Tanka), Peranakans, and Chuanqing people of Guizhou who are in the process of being assimilated by their more dominant neighbors.

Some might consider Overseas Chinese and ethnic Chinese long established in Mongolia, Taiwan, Korea, and Southeast Asia to be separate subgroups of the Han Chinese.

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