REGIONAL> Major News
Qiang the new Han in Shaanxi
By Ma Lie (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-24 07:39

XI'AN: Han Chinese living in Fengxian county, Shaanxi province, are being invited to change their ethnicity to Qiang under a proposed government policy to boost tourism.

"People of Han ethnicity whose families have lived in the county for more than three generations, or who can prove they have Qiang ancestors can change their ethnic status," the policy said.

There are about 200,000 people of Qiang ethnicity in China, the majority of whom live in Sichuan province.

"The policy actually aims to get people to restore their real ethnic origins, so there are strict examination and approval procedures," Xu Ye, Fengxian's deputy magistrate, told China Daily.

Qiang the new Han in Shaanxi

Authorities in the small, mountainous county, which is currently home to about 300 Qiang people in 80 families, is keen to promote itself as a home of the ethnic group in a bid to boost tourism.

Liang Ruili, deputy director of the tourism bureau, said the county used to be a base for lead and zinc mining, which accounted for 80 of its economy.

"But as resources have been depleted, the mining industry is now on the brink of collapse and we need to find something new," he said.

In 2006, the county government decided to concentrate on its tourism industry, with one of the elements of that being the promotion of the Qiang culture.

"Last year, we welcomed about 250,000 visitors and generated 225 million yuan ($33 million) from tourism," Liang said.

The chance to change one's ethnic status is expected to be popular with local people, as China has preferential policies on education, employment and family planning for people from minority groups.

Xie Youfu, who has been living in Fengxian for more than 40 years, said he thinks many natives who are working outside the county will return to apply for the new ethnic status.

Wu Shuangxing, a police official in charge of household registration in the county, said more than 1,000 people have already submitted applications for the scheme.

Some people have criticized the scheme as nothing more than a gimmick to boost tourism.

But Zhang Shangyun, director of the Qiang Research association in Sichuan, said it will both protect Qiang culture and offer benefits to people who want to return to their home county and ethnic roots.

(China Daily 12/24/2008 page5)