Uyghurs call themselves Uyghurs, a word meaning "unity" in the Uyghur language. Uyghurs are the descendants of the Dingling and Tieles tribes, nomads who mingled and merged in the third century BC. During the 8th and 9th centuries the Uyghurs ruled a vast Central Asian empire.

The Miao subdivide themselves into a number of different groups such as Long Skirt Miao, Short Skirt Miao, Red Miao and Black Miao. They are descendants of the clans and tribes indigenous to the Yellow River basin and the south and middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

There are several versions of the story of their origins but they are generally considered to be descendants of the Wu Man people, or alternatively the Ba people who ruled the area around modern day Chongqing some 2500 years ago.

The Zhuang are known by a number of different names in different places, including Bushuang, Buchuang, Bunong and Buman. The Zhuang are descendants of the Tai peoples, a group that migrated south from central China 5000 years ago in search of more fertile soil.

The Bais call themselves Baihuo, Baini and Baizi, meaning

Known by tourists as the Yellowstone Park in China, it is one of the largest forests of natural peaks, boasting of more than 3000 narrow quartz sandstone pillars and over 1000 peaks.