The sub groups of the Han Chinese are based on linguistics, culture and region within mainland China. The terminology used in Mandarin to describe the groups is: "minxi" (Simplified Chinese: 民系, ethnic lineages) or "zuqun" (Simplified Chinese: 族群, ethnic groups).
These two terms are used in mainland China and Taiwan, respectively, refers to subgroups of the Han Chinese population, whose mother tongue are Chinese languages and does not belong to one of People's Republic of China's 56 official minority ethnic groups of China.
Famous quotes containing the word han:
“men may wel often finde
A lordes sone do shame and vileinye;
And he that wol han prys of his gentrye
For he was boren of a gentil hous,”
—Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?–1400)