The Hani mainly live in compact communities in Yunnan Province. Their total population is 1.4 million.

The Hani call themselves the Hani or Ani people. Like the Yi, they are descendants of the ancient Qiang people, who migrated south from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau some 1700 years ago.

The Hani language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. It’s written using the Roman alphabet in a system developed by the Chinese government in 1957.

The Hani practice a polytheistic religion with a focus on veneration of one’s ancestors.

The Hani are famous for their terraced fields. Their major cops are rice, maize, cotton and tea.

Technorati Tags: Ani Chinese Minorities Qiang people Qinghai-Tibetan Sino-Tibetan The Hani Tibeto-Burman Yunnan