Che people
Encyclopedia
The Che people are a branch of the Yao people
found in the Guangdong
and Jiangxi
provinces of China
. Outside of those areas, they are also known as the She people
.
; 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.
From the time of the Qin dynasty
on, waves of migrants from northern China have had a serious impact on the Che people. Because they possessed superior tools and technology
, these migrants were able to displace the Che and occupy the better land for farming. As a result of this some of the Che were forced to relocate into the hilly areas of the Jiangxi
and Fujian
provinces.
Following this relocation, the Che people became hillside farmers. Their methods of farming included burning grasses on the slope, casting rice seeds on those embers and then harvesting the produce following the growth season. Some of the Che people also participated in the production and trade of salt
, obtained from the evaporation
of local pools of salt water.
Many conflicts took place between the Han Chinese
and Che peoples. For example, in one incident, Che salt producers on Lantau Island
in Hong Kong
attacked the city of Canton
in a revolt during the Song dynasty
.
, who disappeared without a trace.
Yao people
The Yao nationality is a government classification for various minorities in China. They form one of the 55 ethnic minority groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China, where they reside in the mountainous terrain of the southwest and south...
found in the Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
and Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
provinces of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Outside of those areas, they are also known as the She people
She people
The She people are a Chinese ethnic group. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China....
.
History
The Che people are some of the earliest known settlers of GuangdongGuangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
; they are thought to have originally settled along the shallow shore for easier fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
access during the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
era. Eventually, after an influx of Yuet people moved south during the Warring States Period
Warring States Period
The Warring States Period , also known as the Era of Warring States, or the Warring Kingdoms period, covers the Iron Age period from about 475 BC to the reunification of China under the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC...
, serious competition between the two peoples for resources developed.
From the time of the Qin dynasty
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
on, waves of migrants from northern China have had a serious impact on the Che people. Because they possessed superior tools and technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, these migrants were able to displace the Che and occupy the better land for farming. As a result of this some of the Che were forced to relocate into the hilly areas of the Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
and Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
provinces.
Following this relocation, the Che people became hillside farmers. Their methods of farming included burning grasses on the slope, casting rice seeds on those embers and then harvesting the produce following the growth season. Some of the Che people also participated in the production and trade of salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
, obtained from the evaporation
Evaporation
Evaporation is a type of vaporization of a liquid that occurs only on the surface of a liquid. The other type of vaporization is boiling, which, instead, occurs on the entire mass of the liquid....
of local pools of salt water.
Many conflicts took place between the Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
and Che peoples. For example, in one incident, Che salt producers on Lantau Island
Lantau Island
Lantau Island , based on the old local name of Lantau Peak , is the largest island in Hong Kong, located at the mouth of the Pearl River. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands District of Hong Kong...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
attacked the city of Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
in a revolt during the Song dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
.
Language
The Che people speak a language derived from the Hmong–Mien group of languages. However, with the assimilation of other ethnic groups, the Che have gradually lost their mother-tongue and now speak other languages such as Hakka.Place Names
After thousands of years of conflict and assimilation with the Han Chinese and Yuet peoples, specific evidence of the inhabitance of the Che in coastal Guangdong has virtually disappeared. However, linguistic traces of their former presence can still be inferred from the following place names:- Tung (峒) are habitats of the Che people found on hills. Examples are Kwun Yam Tung (觀音峒) and Tai Tung (大峒) near Plover CovePlover CovePlover Cove or Shuen Wan Hoi is a cove in the Tai Po area of Hong Kong, near Tolo Channel and Tolo Harbour.It is encircled by the hills Pat Sin Leng and Wan Leng , the Yim Tin Tsai, Ma Shi Chau and Tung Tau Chau island ranges, and a long peninsula extending from Fu Tau Sha...
in Hong Kong. - Che (輋) are also habitats of the Che people on hills. This can also refer to the method of farming the Che people used. For example, Wo CheWo CheWo Che is an area in Sha Tin of Hong Kong. South of Fo Tan and north of proper Sha Tin, it is divided into Sheung Wo Che and Ha Wo Che , and the reclamation by Shing Mun River....
(禾輋) in Sha TinSha TinSha Tin, also spelled Shatin, is an area around the Shing Mun River in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of the Sha Tin District.-Geography:...
and Ping ChePing ChePing Che is a village in Ta Kwu Ling, North District, Hong Kong.Che refers to the method of farming that the Che people used.-Features:The Cheung Shan Monastery in Ping Che is a declared monument...
(坪輋) near Ta Kwu LingTa Kwu LingTa Kwu Ling is an area in the North District, New Territories, Hong Kong, located northeast of Sheung Shui, close to the border with mainland China....
in Hong Kong.
Cultural depictions
In the 1997 play, Fei ba! Lin liu niao, fei ba! ("Archaeological Bird") by Chan Ping Chiu, the Che people are referenced as the mysterious ancestors of the people of Hong Kong, distinct from other peoples of mainland China and the TaiwaneseTaiwanese people
Taiwanese people may refer to individuals who either claim or are imputed cultural identity focused on the island of Taiwan and/or Taiwan Area which have been governed by the Republic of China since 1945...
, who disappeared without a trace.