As one of the ethnic minorities in China, the Yao ethnic group has a population of about 2.6 million, most of whom are farmers living in mountainous areas. Titles that they call themselves include the Mian, Jinmen, Bunu, Bingduoyou, Heiyoumeng, and Lajia.

In the past, the Yao people were further divided into subgroups based on historical differences in their economic backgrounds, lifestyles, manners and customs including the following and more: Pan Yao, Shanzi Yao, Dingban Yao, Hualan Yao, Guoshang Yao, Baiku Yao, Hong Yao, Landian Yao, Bapai Yao, Pingdi Yao, Ao Yao, etc.

In total, there used to be as many as twenty branches of the Yao ethnic group. The different groups of the Yao people had different styles and characteristics in production methods, architectures, and clothes in history. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, they were combined and are now collectively referred to as the Yao ethnic group.

Distribution:

Yao people mostly live in mountain communities scattered over 130 counties in five south China provinces and one autonomous region. About 70 per cent of them live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the rest in Hunan, Yunnan, Guangdong, Guizhou and Jiangxi provinces.

Language:

Half of the Yao people speak the Yao language which belongs to the Chinese-Tibetan language family; others use Miao or Dong languages. As a result of close contacts with the Hans and Zhuangs, many Yao people also have learned to speak Chinese or Zhuang language.

Before 1949, the Yao people did not have a written language. Ancient Yao people kept records of important affairs by carving notches on wood or bamboo slips. Later they used Chinese characters. Hand-written copies of words of songs are on display in the Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County in Guangxi. They are believed to be relics of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Ancient stone tablets engraved with Chinese characters can be found in a lot of Yao communities.