The Tujia live in compact communities in the Wuling Range, which straddles the borders of Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces. Their total population is 8 million.

The Tujia call themselves Bizika, meaning "native dwellers" in the Tujia language. 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 Tujia language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. It does not have a standard writing system. However, most Tujia no longer speak Tujia, but instead speak Mandarin, the language Tujia children are taught in schools.

The 8 million Tujia people practice diverse religions. Some practice Tibetan Buddhism, some Taoism, and some continue to practice their traditional animistic religion.

The Tujia are mainly agriculturalists, growing paddy, maize, potato, wheat etc. The Tujia women sell traditional handicrafts, like brightly woven cloth and embroidery.

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