Regardless of what the official policy is, the ethnic minority groups are disadvantaged in many aspects of social life in China. They mostly live in the remote inland or border regions. These areas are characterized by harsh natural conditions, poor transportation and inadequate educational opportunities, which have severely hindered local socio-economic development. Poor interethnic communication and misunderstanding leads some people to considere the cultural and religious practices of other ethnic groups as "superstitious". Unofficial discrimination in the society also exists. For example, an ethnic minority person who speaks Mandarin (the official Chinese language) poorly would have more difficulty finding a job (the same as in the US).
The ethnic minorities in China have formed their unique cultures in the long process of historical development. In the field of performing arts, including dance, music, theater and drama, the non-Han ethnic groups have made major and dominating contributions. This is contrary to what most people in and out of China perceive. Obviously it is also different from the place of American Indian performances in the United States and Aboriginal performances in Australia. In both of these cases the native cultures have much less impact on mainstream theater, music and dance. In China, on the other hand, Chineseness is a common feature of the ethnic minority cultures and performing arts. These cultural forms take place within particular Chinese social contexts and the ethnic people attach complex meanings to their cultural performances. I have examined the so-called “20th Century Classics for Chinese Dances” nominated by the State Ministry of Culture in China. It was found that about 65-70% originates directly or indirectly from the ethnic minority cultures. As a Han descendant, I was confused by this fact and have considered the reasons why the Han performing arts have shrunk into Peking Opera (and other local operas, such as “Kunju” in Shanghai and “Yueju” in Kangdong), acrobatics, or martial arts and have given most of the room of Chinese cultural performances to other ethnic groups. I argue that three factors may have shaped this cultural landscape in China: 1) A well developed writing and language system in the Han society has directed the expression of feeling by Han people toward literature, calligraphy, painting, and poetry, etc. 2) A high standard has been set for the performing arts so that very few could pass the threshold, and much of the Han repertoire for performing arts has been lost. For several thousand years Chinese culture has been dominated by the teachings of the philosopher Confucius, who conceived performing arts in the highest sense as a means of calming the passions and of dispelling unrest and lust, rather than as a form of amusement. 3) A low social status has been assigned to performing artists. Before the 20th century, dancers, singers and other performing artists were put into the lowest categories, the categories for prostitution and beggars.
Therefore, a well-rounded understanding of Chinese culture and society is impossible without an emphasis on the importance of ethnic diversity and multi-culturalism in contemporary China, and on the central role the ethnic minorities have played, and continue to exert, in the construction of Chinese cultural performances. I will try to discuss the ethnic minority cultures and some of their representative performing arts in the following sessions on the basis of their relation to the following thematic issues: historical evolution, religion and identity, ethnic relations, regional features and intercultural exchange.
