The Han Chinese are the main ethnic group in China and one of the most populous ethnic groups in the world. However, there have been some controversies and misunderstandings about the ethnic affiliation of the Han people. Before the question of ethnic affiliation of the Han Chinese, it needs to be made clear that race is a classification based on physical characteristics, while ethnicity is based on cultural and historical concepts. Thus, race and nation are two different concepts that cannot be simply equated.
Historically, the formation of the Han nationality has gone through a long period of time and a complex process of integration. The predecessor of the Han nationality was the Huaxia people, and the Huaxia people are a fusion of multiple cultures and ethnic groups. In the process of the formation of the Huaxia people, there are not only the indigenous peoples of the Yellow River Basin, but also various ethnic groups from the south, southeast, west and northeast. In the process of long-term exchange and integration, these ethnic groups have gradually formed a Han nationality with a common cultural and historical identity.
In terms of physical characteristics, the Han nationality belongs to the East Asian type of race. The race is one of the two major branches of the Asian race, and the East Asian type is one of the more typical races. The main physical characteristics of the Han nationality are: flat face, medium height of the nose bridge, medium thickness of the lips, and sparse body hair. These characteristics are similar to other types of the race, but there are some differences, such as the Han Chinese may be taller and heavier in height and weight relative to other East Asian peoples.
However, it is worth noting that with the acceleration of globalization and population migration, the physical characteristics of the Han people are also gradually changing. For example, with the acceleration of urbanization and the increase in population migration, the proportion of mixed and foreign genes among the Han people has gradually increased. These changes may lead to the gradual convergence of the physical characteristics of the Han Chinese to those of other East Asian peoples and to the human race type on a global scale.
In summary, the Han Chinese belong to the East Asian type of the race, but under the influence of globalization and population migration, their physical characteristics are also gradually changing. In the issue of ethnic affiliation of the Han nationality, it is necessary to comprehensively consider the changing trend of cultural and historical background and physical characteristics.