A Tanka settlement is hidden in Foshan | Beiqu Fishing Village.

In Beiqu Fishing Village in Nanhai, Foshan, there lives a group of Tanka people, also known as "Dan people" or "Dan households." These Tanka people live on boats and have long been engaged in fishing, shipping, and other water-related work. There is no definitive conclusion in academia about the origin of the Tanka people. Most researchers believe that the Tanka people were originally Baiyue people. However, there is another view: the Tanka people were originally a relatively wealthy group on land, who abandoned their land life and took to boats in ancient times to escape war. At first, they only occasionally went ashore to exchange goods, but over time, their supplies gradually ran out, and they could only drift on boats and fish for a living. In this way, generation after generation, they became accustomed to life on the water, eventually forming the "Tanka" ethnic group. Today, the Tanka people are mainly distributed in Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan provinces. It should be noted that the Tanka people are also Han Chinese, and in terms of living habits, in addition to having the main customs and habits of the Han Chinese, they also have their own unique customs and traditions. In Beihai Fishing Village, in addition to retaining the traditional water lifestyle of the Tanka people, there are also many buildings and villages along the coast. It seems that many descendants of the Tanka people have already settled on land. Most of those still living on boats are elderly people. Whether they have not settled on land due to economic difficulties or because of their attachment to their homeland is unknown. 📍Detailed address: Beiqu Fishing Village, Nanhai District, Foshan City 🚉Transportation guide: Subway: Take the Guangfo Line to "Hedong" Station, then take Bus 309A from "Baihedong" to "Sanshan Port Central Primary School." It's very close, and you can also take a taxi from the subway station, which takes about 10 minutes. 💰Average cost: Free to visit, self-driving parking depends on local conditions