Chinese people in Iran

Chinese people in Iran

Total population
2,000 - 3,000
Regions with significant populations
Tehran and other major cities
Languages
Chinese; Persian not widely spoken
Religion
Not known
Related ethnic groups
Overseas Chinese

Chinese people in Iran form one of the smaller groups of overseas Chinese; Iran's total Chinese population is estimated at between 2,000 and 3,000 people.^[1]

History

During the Safavid dynasty, Abbas I (reigned 1587–1629) brought 300 Chinese potters to Iran to enhance local production of Chinese-style ceramics.^[2]

Of the Chinese Li family in Quanzhou, Li Nu, the son of Li Lu, visited Hormuz in Persia in 1376, married a Persian or an Arab girl, and brought her back to Quanzhou. Li Nu was the ancestor of the Ming Dynasty reformer Li Chih.^[3][4]

The numbers of expatriates from the People's Republic of China began to increase noticeably between 2002 and 2005.^[5]

On May 26, 1756, the Dutch reported that 80 Chinese families lived in Kharg Island, where they worked as farmers.^[6][7][8][9]

Business and employment

Most modern Chinese expatriates work on construction or other engineering projects; a few run import/export companies or other small businesses. Large-scale investment projects are also becoming more common; businessmen from Zhejiang began building Iran's first Chinese trade complex in 2006. The 330,000 square-metre site in the south of the country, located five kilometres from Khorramshahr and twenty kilometres from the Iraqi border, is expected to contain 1,500 businesses and cost RMB600 million to complete.^[1][10]

Cultural integration

One People's Daily reporter described Chinese people in Iran often have trouble adapting to local life. They live in a separate sphere from Iranians. Most cannot speak much Persian. Because the number of Chinese in the country is so small, Chinese people are typically taken to be Koreans or Japanese people instead, unlike in other countries where the opposite mistake is more common. Chinese cuisine is largely unavailable.^[5][11] Aside from Chinese people married to Iranians, international students are the group of Chinese in Iran best integrated into mainstream society, in terms of lifestyle and language. Their total number is estimated at roughly 100; unlike other Chinese residents, most live outside of Tehran, because the number of scholarships offered by universities in the capital has been decreasing.^[1] There is a small Chinatown in Iran built on a Chinese theme, known as Mahale Chiniha.

See also

• Koreans in Iran

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "伊朗国内局势稳定 人们不太相信会爆发战争/Iran's domestic situation stable; people don't really think war will break out", Xinhua News, 2007-02-08, http://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2007-02/08/content_5714205.htm, retrieved 2009-04-27 
2. ^ Newman, Andrew J. (2006), "Monumental Challenge and Monumental Responses: the reign of Abbas I (1587–1629)", Safavid Iran: rebirth of a Persian empire, I. B. Tauris, p. 69, ISBN 9781860646676 
3. ^ Association for Asian studies (Ann Arbor;Michigan) (1976), A-L, Volumes 1-2, Columbia University Press, p. 817, ISBN 0231038011, http://books.google.com/?id=067On0JgItAC&pg=PA817&dq=ch'ang+fond+persian+girl&q=li%20nu%20married%20an%20arab%20or%20persian%20girl, retrieved 2010-06-29 
4. ^ Chen, Da-Sheng. "CHINESE-IRANIAN RELATIONS vii. Persian Settlements in Southeastern China during the T'ang, Sung, and Yuan Dynasties". Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranica.com/articles/chinese-iranian-vii. Retrieved 2010-06-28. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "伊朗印象/Impressions of Iran", China Central Television, 2005-06-08, http://big5.cctv.com/news/world/20050608/100425.shtml, retrieved 2007-09-06 
6. ^ W. G. Clarence-Smith (1989), The Economics of the Indian Ocean slave trade in the nineteenth century, Psychology Press, p. 69, ISBN 0714633593, http://books.google.com/?id=9Hfl5rpXM1sC&pg=PA69&dq=26+May,+1756+visited+Kharg+Island+and+reported+seeing+80+families+of+Chinese+farmers+while+armed+Coffree+slaves'+are#v=onepage&q=reported%20seeing%20chinese%201756%20may%2026%20chinese%20farmers%20families&f=false, retrieved 2010-08-29 
7. ^ Maghan Keita (2002), Conceptualizing/re-conceptualizing Africa: the construction of African historical identity, Brill, p. 82, ISBN 9004124209, http://books.google.com/?id=D-G1AAAAIAAJ&q=on+Kharg+Island+along+with+a+small+contingent+of+Chinese+farmers&dq=on+Kharg+Island+along+with+a+small+contingent+of+Chinese+farmers, retrieved 2010-08-29 
8. ^ Patrick Manning (1996), Slave trades, 1500-1800: globalization of forced labour, Variorum, p. 288, ISBN 0860785122, http://books.google.com/?id=ynG4AAAAIAAJ&q=26+May,+1756+visited+Kharg+Island+and+reported+seeing+80+families+of+Chinese+farmers+while+armed+Coffree+slaves'+are&dq=26+May,+1756+visited+Kharg+Island+and+reported+seeing+80+families+of+Chinese+farmers+while+armed+Coffree+slaves'+are, retrieved 2010-08-29 
9. ^ Taylor & Francis (1988), Slavery & abolition, Volume 9; Volume 9, F. Cass, p. 69, http://books.google.com/?id=efzlAAAAMAAJ&q=26+May,+1756+visited+Kharg+Island+and+reported+seeing+80+families+of+Chinese+farmers+while+armed+Coffree+slaves'+are&dq=26+May,+1756+visited+Kharg+Island+and+reported+seeing+80+families+of+Chinese+farmers+while+armed+Coffree+slaves'+are, retrieved 2010-08-29 
10. ^ "浙商投6億在伊朗建"中國商貿城" 同時針對伊拉克/Zhejiang businessmen spend RMB600 million to build Iranian "Chinese commerce city"; take aim at Iraq at the same time", ĸ�方早报/Oriental Daily, 2006-06-06, http://www.china.com.cn/economic/txt/2006-06/03/content_6228526.htm, retrieved 2007-09-06 
11. ^ 刘守望/Liu Shouwang (2006-08-07), "伊朗华人过得挺安逸/Iran's Chinese live quite comfortably", People's Daily, http://world.people.com.cn/GB/14549/4671886.html, retrieved 2007-09-06