Miao people, with a population of 7.4 million, are mainly distributed in Guizhou, Hunan, Yunnan, Hubei, Hainan, Guangxi and other provinces (regions).
Miaoling Mountain and Wuling Mountain, where Miao people live together, have mild climate, and are surrounded by mountains and waters, with large and small dams scattered all over the place. Mainly produces rice, corn, millet, wheat, cotton, flue-cured tobacco, rape, tung oil and so on. In addition, it is rich in timber resources and mineral resources.
The ancestors of Miao people can be traced back to the Chiyou tribe, which was active in the Central Plains in primitive society. During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, Miao ancestors began to establish "Three Miao Countries" in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and engaged in agricultural rice cultivation. Miao people have migrated many times in history, and the general route is from the Yellow River valley to Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan.
Miao nationality has its own language, belonging to the Miao branch of Miao Yao language family of Sino-Tibetan language family. Originally, there were no national characters, but Latin pinyin characters were created in the late 1950s. Nowadays, most people use Chinese.
Miao people have a long history of music and dance, and Lusheng dance, which is deeply loved by the masses, is highly skilled. Miao people's arts and crafts, such as flower picking, embroidery, brocade, batik and jewelry making, are colorful and enjoy a high reputation in the world. Miao people have many festivals, such as Miao Year, April 8th, Dragon Boat Festival.