Speakers of Gan Chinese
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| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 China |
Jiangxi Hunan Anhui Hubei Fujian |
 Republic of China (on Taiwan) | As part of Mainlander population |
| Languages | |
| Gan, Hakka, Jianghuai Mandarin Chinese, Hui, Chuqu Wu dialects, Xiang | |
| Religion | |
| Mahayana Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Chinese folk religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Hakka people, other Han Chinese | |
The Gan-speaking Chinese or Jiangxi people are a subgroup of Han Chinese people. The origin of Gan-speaking people in China are from Jiangxi province in China. Gan-speaking populations are also found in Fujian, southern Anhui and Hubei provinces, and linguistic enclaves are found on Taiwan, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Hunan, Hainan, Guangdong, Fujian and non-Gan speaking Jiangxi.
Culture
Jiangxi is the main area of concentration of the Gan varieties of Chinese, spoken over most of the northern two-thirds of the province. Examples include the Nanchang dialect, Yichun dialect and Ji'an dialect. The southern one-third of the province speaks Hakka. There are also Mandarin, Huizhou, and Wu dialects spoken along the northern border.
Ganju, or Jiangxi opera, is the type of Chinese opera performed in Jiangxi.
Although little known outside of the province, Jiangxi cuisine is rich and distinctive. Flavors are some of the strongest in China, with heavy use of chile peppers and especially pickled and fermented products.
Jingdezhen is widely regarded as the producer of the best porcelain in China.
Jiangxi also was a historical center of Chan Buddhism.
Prominent examples of Hakka architecture can be found in Jiangxi.
Language
Jiangxi people speak primarily Gan Chinese dialects, but there are also many Gan speakers outside of Jiangxi as well as non-Gan speakers within Jiangxi province. There are also Gan-speaking enclaves in other parts of China.
Southern Jiangxi is predominantly Hakka, and Hakka Chinese dialects are spoken there.
Wu dialects are spoken in Shangrao and Yushan counties.
Areas of significant population
Gan-speaking people are found primarily in Jiangxi, Fujian, Anhui, Hunan, and Hubei provinces.
Enclaves within Shaanxi
Jiangxi Gan-speaking enclaves are found in villages scattered across Shangnan, Danfeng, Shanyang, Zhashui, Zhen'an, Hanbin, and Shiquan counties in Shaanxi province. [1] The Mandarin-speaking population of Shaanxi refers to the Gan language as spoken in Shaanxi as Manzihua (蠻子話), or 'Barbarian speech'. [2]
Enclaves within Guangdong
There are about 20,000 Gan speakers living in Guangdong province, primarily in Nanxiong county and other districts. Hakka-speaking locals refer to the Gan language spoken in Northeastern Guangdong as "Jiangxihua" (江西話). [3]
Enclaves within Sichuan
Jiangxi people are also found in Daqiao district in Huidong county in Sichuan province. [4]
Enclaves within Guizhou
Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture also has a Gan-speaking minority. [5]
Enclaves within Hainan
In Danzhou, Changjiang, and Sanya, some villages speak a "Hakka-Gan dialect". [6]
Enclaves within Taiwan
According to the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, the number of Jiangxi people living in Taiwan is 124,670. Thus the number of Gan speakers is around 100-200 thousand.[7]
References
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