Wenshan is highly diverse. According to a local saying, "Han and Hui live by the market, Zhuang and Dai live by the water, Miao and Yi live on the mountains, and Yao live among the valleys." (汉族、回族住街头,壮族、傣族住水头,苗族、彝族住山头,瑶族住箐头。)
Yunnan (1979)[7] lists Jiazhou 甲州 (pop. 475), Longjiang 龙降 (pop. 54), Tusi 土司 (pop. 134), and Bendi 本地 (pop. 7) as Zhuang subgroups of unknown linguistic affiliation.
Yi
The Wenshan Prefecture Gazetteer (文山壮族苗族自治州志) (2000) and the Wenshan Prefecture Ethnic Gazetteer (文山壮族苗族自治州志) (2005) list the following Yi ethnic subdivisions in Wenshan Prefecture.
Luo (倮)
White Lolo (白倮倮) (autonyms: Suodu所都, Luoluobu罗罗布, Xiqima洗其麻, Gaisipo 改斯泼)
Mokong (莫空) (Gaokujiao Luo高裤脚倮) of Funing and Guangnan counties
Mudai (木歹) of Funing and Napo counties
Black Lolo (黑倮倮) (autonyms: Nuosupo诺苏泼, Luoluopo罗罗泼): in Qiubei, Yanshan, and Wenshan counties
Flowery Lolo (花倮倮) (autonyms: Hanluowu含罗武, Luwu鲁屋, Niesu聂素): in Funing, Guangnan, Malipo, Xichou, Maguan, and Yanshan counties
Lai (俫) (autonym; a branch of the Awu阿武, also called Mengwu孟武):[8] in Xisa 西洒镇, Xichou; Daping 大坪镇 and Nanwenhe 南温河乡 of Malipo
Gepu (格仆) (autonyms: Gepo葛泼, Alingpo阿灵泼; exonyms: Geluoluo/duo葛倮罗/多, Adu阿度, Aga阿嘎): in Tiechang 铁厂乡 and Donggan 董干镇 townships of Malipo County[8]
Axi (阿西): in Wenshan, Yanshan, and Qiubei counties[8]
Lalu (腊鲁) (Lalupu腊鲁仆; exonym: Xiangtang香堂): in Nanping 南屏镇[8]
Yao
The Wenshan Prefecture Gazetteer (文山壮族苗族自治州志) (2000) lists the following Yao ethnic subdivisions in Wenshan Prefecture.
Men (们) or Jinmen (金门) (exonym: Landian Yao蓝靛瑶)
Mengmian (孟棉) or Youmian (尤勉) (exonyms: Daban Yao大板瑶, Jiao Yao角瑶)
Xiu (秀) or Ya (亚) (exonyms: Shan Yao山瑶, Guoshan Yao过山瑶): in Longmen (龙门) and Longshao (龙绍) of Funing County, and in Tiechang (铁厂), Jinchang (金厂), and other locations of Malipo County
Demographics
Among the resident population, the Han population is 1,501,852, accounting for 42.69% of the total population; the ethnic minorities population is 2,016,089, accounting for 57.31% of the total population.
Ethnic Composition of Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (November 2010)[9]
The Wenshan Prefecture Gazetteer文山壮族苗族自治州志 (2000) lists the following Gelao ethnic subdivisions in Wenshan Prefecture. The Gelao of Wenshan are also locally known as the Laobazi 老巴子 or Bazi 巴子.
White Gelao (白仡佬)
Green Gelao (青仡佬)
Red Gelao (红仡佬)
Flowery Gelao (花仡佬) (also known as the Wai Gelao (歪仡佬) or Pipao Gelao (披袍仡佬))
History
The prefecture has been inhabited for at least 4000 years, as evidenced by surviving neolithic rock art in Malipo County. The seat of Guangnan, known today as Liancheng (莲城镇), was the heart of the Gouding Kingdom (句町) that lasted approximately 400 years, from 111 BC to 316 AD.
^Castro, Andy & Gu Chawen. 2010. "Phonological innovation among Hmong dialects of Wenshan." Journal of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society (JSEALS) 3.1:1-39.
^云南民族识别综合调查组编 [Yunnan Minority Recognition Comprehensive Group] (1979). 云南民族识别综合调查报告(1960年). Kunming: 云南民族学研究所印 [Yunnan Nationalities Research Institute Press].
^Yunnan Provincial Census Office, Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Statistics (September 2012). "Yunnan Provincial Census Data in 2010". China Statistics Press. ISBN978-7-5037-6548-3.