The
people of Hainan (
Chinese: 海南人), known as
Hainanese and
Hainan people, usually refers to people who originate from
Hainan Island, the southernmost and smallest Chinese
province. The term "Hainanese" was frequently used by the
Hainanese Han (海南漢人) who are the majority in the island, to identify themselves overseas. Nevertheless, other natives of the island such as
Li (黎族),
Miao (苗族), and
Utsuls also use the term.
History
Most Hainanese Han people were originally
fishermen from the
Fujian and
Guangdong provinces who later settled in Hainan, while the
Li natives came to the island earlier from the
mainland.
Similarly to Fujian and Guangdong province, Hainan has been the source for much migration. Most of the
Chinese diaspora trace their ancestry through these three provinces. Towards the turn of the 20th century, many of them migrated to the various
Southeast Asian countries, where they worked as cooks, restaurateurs, coffeeshop owners, sailors, and hoteliers. In fact, the person who actually created the world-famous
Singapore Sling at the renowned Singapore
Raffles Hotel, Mr. Ngiam Tong Boon, was himself a Hainanese.
Culture
The Hainanese are known for their signature dishes such as the
Hainanese Chicken Rice, Hainanese Pork Chop, Hainanese Mutton Soup, Hainanese Salted Fish Soup and
beef noodle soup. In Singapore, one can find some of these signature dishes served at the various eateries located along Purvis Street - which is often...
Read More