Jiaoliao people

Jiaoliao people (Chinese: 胶辽民系; pinyin: Jiāoliáorén), also referred to as the Jiaoliao Han people (Chinese: 胶辽汉人; pinyin: Jiāoliáo Hànrén), are a Han Chinese ethnolinguistic group primarily inhabiting the Jiaodong Peninsula in Shandong Province and Liaodong Peninsula in Liaoning Province. They are distinguished by their use of Jiaoliao Mandarin, a branch of Mandarin Chinese with unique phonological features^[1].

Jiaoliao people

胶辽民系
Directors and teachers of the German-Chinese Boys' Middle School of the East Asia Mission in Qingdao, 1925
Total population
Over 20 million (estimated) in China
Regions with significant populations
China (Shandong Peninsula and Liaodong Peninsula)
Languages
Mandarin Chinese (Jiaoliao Mandarin as primary, Standard Mandarin as secondary)
Religion
Chinese folk religion, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Atheism
Related ethnic groups
Shandong people, and Han Chinese

Distribution of Jiaoliao Mandarin

The Jiaoliao people emerged as a distinct regional group through centuries of cultural exchange across the Bohai Sea, particularly during the Ming and Qing dynasties, when maritime trade and population movement intensified between Shandong and Liaoning regions. This led to a blending of customs and dialects, forming a coherent regional identity.

During the late Qing and Republican eras, some Jiaoliao people migrated to Manchuria and inner Mongolia, contributing to the Han settlement of the Northeast. Despite regional variation, they share strong culinary traditions, sea-based livelihoods, and linguistic characteristics centered around Jiaoliao Mandarin.

The Jiaoliao identity is less commonly recognized than other Han subgroups, but remains notable in linguistic, historical, and cultural scholarship on northern coastal China^[2].

Notable people

• Yu Yongbo (born 1945): General from Dandong, Liaoning; former Director of the PLA General Political Department.
• Liu Huaqing (1916–2011): Admiral from Changyi, Shandong; considered the father of modern Chinese naval development.

• Jiang Kun (born 1950): Comic dialogue (xiangsheng) performer from Dalian, Liaoning.
• Huang Xiaoming (born 1977): Actor and singer from Qingdao, Shandong.
• Huang Bo (born 1974): Actor and director from Qingdao, Shandong.

• Sun Jiadong (born 1929): Aerospace engineer and key figure in China’s space program; born in Wafangdian, Liaoning.

• Sui Wenjing (born 1995): World champion figure skater from Fushun, Liaoning.

Gallery

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  Traditional houses in Weihai
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  Local cuisine: Braised Prawns
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  Jiaoliao people are featured by their fishery
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  Fishing boats in Xieziwan (lit. Crab Bay) in Dalian
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  Sculpture of Swordfish in Dalian
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  Temple of Sea Goddess in Yantai
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  Jiaoliao people are especially linked by series islands in Bohai Strait