Based on fieldwork, archival research, and interviews, this book critically examines the building of modern Chinese discourse on a unified yet diverse Chinese nation on various sites of knowledge production. It argues that Chinese ideology on minority nationalities is rooted in modern China's quest for national integration and political authority. However, it also highlights the fact that the complex process of conceptualizing, investigating, classifying, curating, and writing minority history has been fraught with disputes and contradictions. As such, the book offers a timely contribution to the current debate in the fields of twentieth-century Chinese nationalism, minority policy, and anthropological practice.

Guo Wu is Associate Professor of History at Allegheny College, USA. He obtained his PhD in history in 2006 from the State University of New York at Albany and has been teaching at Allegheny College. His publications include one research monograph and multiple articles focusing on late imperial and 20^th century China.