Different influences

Famous for its magnificent local Cantonese cuisine, south China has always attracted migrants from both abroad and other regions of the country. Some indigenous tribes have survived, though, and there are thought to be about 39 minority tribes. Of these, the Li are the most numerous, with more than one million people. Believed to have migrated to the area from Fujian some 3,000 years ago, this hardy race have for centuries struggled to scratch a subsistence. Their livelihood today, however, depends largely on tourism and hospitality.