Fading into Modernity

A multimedia project for The Orochen Foundation.

The Orochen people, only 8,000 people remain, are an ethnic group in northern China. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People’s Republic of China. According to the 2000 Census, 44.54% live in Inner Mongolia and 51.52% along the Heilongjiang River (Amur) in the province of Heilongjiang. The Orochen Autonomous Banner is also located in Inner Mongolia.

The Orochens are mainly hunters and it is customary of them to use animal fur and skins for clothing. Many of them have given up hunting and adhered to laws that aimed to protect wildlife in the People’s Republic of China. The government is said to have provided modern dwellings for those who have left behind the traditional way of life.

The Orochen Foundation (orochenfoundation.org/​) seeks to help ethnic minorities find ways to preserve their cultural heritage while taking advantage of the many opportunities that China’s growth and development affords them.