Sichuan People

In China, Sichuan people are quite easy to tell for they have many obvious features. On average, they are not very tall, but have good skin. They are good at cooking and eating spicy food, especially hot pot. They are enthusiastic and hospitable; and they like leading a slow and leisurely life. These are just some features of them. Take a moment to read this article; you will have a more comprehensive understanding of Sichuan people.
 

Sichuan people are mainly composed of native Sichuan dwellers and later immigrants from other regions. In Qin Dynasty (221 - 207 BC), many people went to Sichuan after this land was conquered. Later there were multiple immigrations to Sichuan in dynasties. Up to late Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD) and early Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911 AD), the largest-scaled immigration to Sichuan happened. People mainly from Hubei and Hunan rushed into Sichuan and settled down there. During the war time before 1949, a number of people migrated to Sichuan from the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River. There were also some migrants in other ages. It is said almost all Chengdu people nowadays originate from other place.

Meanwhile, there are quite a few ethnic groups in Sichuan, such as Yi, Tibetan, Qiang, Miao, Hui, Mongolian, Tujia, Naxi, Buyi, Bai, Zhuang nationalities, etc. Regardless of where they come from or which nationality they belong to, they have formed a new group, Sichuan people as time passed by.
See Also: Chinese Ethnic Groups
 

Sichuan people are noted for not only their widespread dialect, but also their marked features. Here are the common features of Sichuan people known by others; however, not every Sichuan person has all these characteristics, because each one is unique from others.
 

Sichuan cuisine is the most popular cuisine all over China, and every Chinese knows its spicy flavor. Sichuan people love spicy food very much, especially hot pot. Based on a latest survey, Chengdu people have a hot pot for every 5 meals, which means they eat hot pot every 2 days; the hot pot accounts for 20% of their total expenses on food. Other famous spicy foods favored by Sichuan people are Kung Pao Chicken, Ma Po Tofu, and Fish-Flavored Shredded Pork, etc. If they leave home for a long journey, many Sichuan people would pack chili oil or chili sauce to season the local non-spicy food.
Read More:
12 Most Popular Sichuan Foods – Have you ever tried?

10 Must-Try Sichuan Dishes

15 Special Sichuan Noodles
 

Although lots of Chinese like to play Mahjong, Sichuan People love it a lot. Majong might be their favorite game, in particular for older people. No matter what the weather is like, they will gather together and play it. Four people sit around a game table and play it; others may stand behind to watch. They may play in a chess room, but most of the time at home or just in front of their shop’s door.

 

According to the statistics, the average height of Sichuan people ranks 24th among the people of 34 provinces/ municipalities in China. Sichuan men have an average height of 170.86 cm (5'7'') and women of 160.86 cm (5'3'').
 

Sichuan people have better skin, which is clear and white, smooth and elastic. It owes to a compound effect of the humid environment in Sichuan and their dietary habit. Sichuan is very wet with frequent rain, so people eat chili and spicy food to drive dampness in their body away. Chili contains various vitamins and promote blood circulation, both good for skin.
 

Sichuan people are quite passionate, they may greet anyone they known actively at any occasion. They would find a topic to talk with you, for examples they may ask you whether you have had a meal or not, or even if you have been to the bathroom.
 

Sichuan men are known as “耙耳朵pa er duo”, meaning henpecked husbands. In fact, Sichuan men are not really afraid of their wives. Instead, they love and respect their wives to make them happy and keep the family harmonious.
 

Sichuan people may argue with somebody fiercely and call the other’s names and curse with the worst words, even in public and attracting the attention of many passers-by. But they hardly take any action to fight.
 

Sichuan might be the right place to experience the slow life in China. Sichuan people are born with a sense to relax; they know how to make themselves as well as others laugh, and how to create a leisurely atmosphere for their own. When traveling there, you can see many locals chat with each other leisurely along the streets.  
 
Sichuan Basin is a land of abundance; the weather has been in proportion to the needs of human, so people have plenty of food and live in peace and contentment all the time. As things have gone on like this, the slow life of locals formed.
 

Sichuan has bred numerous celebrities since ancient times, like Li Bing, the local governor in Qin State of Warring States Period (475 - 221 BC) who built the great conservancy project Dujiangyan; Sima Xiangru, a famous litterateur in Western Dynasty (202 BC - 9 AD); Su Shi, the noted poet in Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127 AD); Zhu De, the brilliant marshal who aided in forming the People's Republic of China; and Deng Xiaoping, the great leader of PRC who promoted China’s reform and opening to the outside world .