She people

She, Sa

She traditional dance performance in Huanglongyan (黄龙岩), Heyuan, Guangdong
Total population
(709,592 (2000))
Regions with significant populations
China: Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Anhui
Languages
Predominantly Hakka. A minuscule minority speak She in Zengcheng, Boluo County, Huidong County and Haifeng County in Guangdong province.
Religion
She indigenous religion (She Wuism),Buddhism
Related ethnic groups
Yao, Miao, Hakka Han

The She (畲) people (She Hakka: [sa]; Cantonese: [sɛ̏ː]; Fuzhou: [sia˥]) are a Chinese ethnic group. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China.

They are the largest minority in Fujian province. They are also present in the provinces of Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi and Guangdong. Some descendants of the She also exist amongst the Hakka minority in Taiwan.

The She language is a Hmong–Mien language. Most of the She today speak Chinese dialects, like Hakka. Those who retain their own language - approximately 1,200 individuals in Guangdong province - call themselves Ho Ne "mountain people" (Chinese: 活聂 huóniè). Some said they were descendants of Dongyi, Nanman or Yue peoples.

Chinese dialects spoken by the She people as listed in You (2002) include:

The She people are some of the earliest known settlers of Guangdong; they are thought to have originally settled along the shallow shore for easier fishing access during the Neolithic era. Eventually, after an influx of Yuet people moved south during the Warring States period, serious competition between the two peoples for resources developed.