Tunbao

The Tunbao or Tunpu (Chinese: 屯堡) are an ethnic subgroup of the Han Chinese, located in Guizhou and Yunnan provinces, China. The Tunbao are descended from ethnic Han who were part of an army sent on an expedition to Guizhou during the reign of the Ming dynasty's Hongwu Emperor.^[1] Long thought to have been a non-Han ethnic minority, their Han origins were proven by Japanese anthropologist Torii Ryuzo in 1896. The Tunbao have preserved much of their culture, costumes, and language from the Ming era.^[2]

Tunpu people

Tunpu women, 1920s
Total population
about 300,000
Regions with significant populations
Anshun, Guizhou, China
Languages
Southwestern Mandarin
Religion
Chinese folk religion, Buddhism, Daoism
Related ethnic groups
Chuanqing people, Han Chinese (especially Hakkas)

The Tianlong Tunbao town, located near Anshun^[3] is a historic site where Tunbao homes and customs have been preserved, including the traditional Dixi opera or "ground opera" performances.^[4]

Tunbao village traditional mask dance in Ming era costumes