Few of China's 56 ethnic groups can claim to have a history as tumultuous as the Manchus, whose highs include ruling the country during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and lows involve persecution and gradual assimilation that threatened to wipe out their language and culture. However, today the Manchus are continuing to spearhead a revival that began over half a century ago and has been growing ever since, despite encountering hurdles.

This Saturday, dozens from the 10 million-strong ethnic group will celebrate Banjin Inenggi - held on the 13th day of the 10th month on the lunar calendar - at Minzu University of China in Haidian district. The festival commemorates Emperor Hong Taiji's announcement in 1635 that "Manchu" would replace the previous "Jurchen" name for the group. More than 300 years on, Manchus from all clans still mark the milestone by performing traditional dances and songs while dressed in the group's well-known garb of long, loose-fitting robes for men and figure-hugging qipao dresses for women.

From rulers to the oppressed

As the last feudal dynasty, Qing courts ruled by Manchu emperors contributed much to the country, including territorial and social unification of a nation historically wracked by war. However, it was also plagued by corruption and classism, which eventually fueled nationwide uprisings that resulted in its overthrow.

Established by the Aisin Gioro clan, the Qing Dynasty came to an inglorious end when the Revolution of 1911 (Xinhai Revolution) led by Sun Yat-sen swept the country, paving the way for the founding of the Republic of China (1912-1949). The last emperor, Puyi, abdicated in 1912 and moved out of the Forbidden City in 1924. His exodus from the throne marked the start of a bitter period for Manchus, who were subjected to a fierce backlash nationwide from people who felt oppressed under their rule.

Fu Chunbin, an ethnic Manchu who hails from the Bordered Blue Banner, one of eight administrative divisions within the ethnic group, told Metro Beijing that during the Revolution of 1911 many of his people were brutally slaughtered during violent uprisings.

"In major cities in South China where the revolution began, Manchus were killed by revolutionaries. Men fared better, as they were able to disguise themselves by changing their clothes. But women were not as lucky, since their unbound feet gave them away," said 46-year-old Fu, who administers Manchu cultural website, imanchu.com.

There are no exact figures on how many Manchus were killed nationwide during the Revolution of 1911, but massacres are well-documented in the cities of Fuzhou, Fujian Province, and Xi'an, Shaanxi Province.

Manchu women in Fuzhou committed suicide by hanging or drowning themselves in wells, while revolutionary mercenaries sealed off the inner-city of Xi'an and killed around 10,000 Manchus, according to 1935 book The Manchu Abdication and the Powers, 1908-1912 by American historian John Gilbert Reid.

Fu said records he keeps show that in the last years of the Qing Dynasty there were approximately 600,000 Manchus in Beijing out of the city's entire population of 1 million. However, Manchu numbers plummeted to 30,000 by the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The sixth national census in 2010 found 336,000 people claimed Manchu ancestry in Beijing.

Dooyvn is a Manchu from the post-1990s generation, yet traces his roots to the ancient Aisin Gioro clan. He recently graduated from university and is now a full-time teacher at Solonju (literally "upstream" in Manchu), a Manchu-language school in Xicheng district that has around 50 students.

He said when the Eight Banners system was abolished in 1925, Manchus led miserable lives. "Officials from the Republic of China did a sample survey in Beijing that covered 1,200 impoverished households, according to a report in 1933. One-third of these homes were Manchu households," he said.

Fu said many unskilled Manchus during this time resorted to menial work, such as pulling rickshaws for men or prostitution for women. "All Manchus were included in the Eight Banners system and grouped into armies. According to Qing military regulations, soldiers were banned from engaging in business and the Qing court subsidized their living costs. Manchus therefore had neither money nor skills to survive after the system was abolished," he said.

Many also abandoned cultural customs and adopted Han surnames to conceal their Manchu identity, the latter which Dooyvn estimates has resulted in "90 percent of Manchus today not knowing their true surnames."

Back from the brink

Yan Chongnian, founder and director of the Beijing Manchu Institute, said Manchus finally enjoyed fairer treatment in 1954 when China's Constitution was passed.

The central government continued to help the country's third largest ethnic group by approving a series of preferential policies and establishing many Manchu autonomous counties in Hebei, Liaoning and Jilin provinces.

After 2000, the Internet allowed dozens of Manchu-related websites to sprout that encouraged learning of their language, a top-to-bottom, character-based writing system.

"Many people can learn Manchu online now. Furthermore, tourism has also promoted Manchu culture through Qing architecture and traditional Manchu festivals," Fu said.

Unlike other ethnic groups in China, very few Manchus speak the group's native language in daily life, Dooyvn said. "There are no modern publications in Manchu, but people can listen to Manchu radio programs online," he noted.

Xu Zheng, former assistant director of the now-defunct Manchu Academy in Dongcheng district that closed in 2003 due to insufficient funding, told Metro Beijing many Manchu art forms today have intangible cultural heritage protection. This includes maohou, toy monkeys made of cicada shells and magnolia buds, and zongren, clay human figures with bristle.

Problems in preservation

Like many ethnic groups in China, Manchus seek to preserve their culture by continuing to celebrate traditional festivals and upholding ancient customs, such as horsemanship, wrestling and archery. However, there are major problems that hinder this preservation, said Dooyvn.

"The lengthy cultural vacuum resulted in a huge loss of common knowledge among Manchus. Many Manchus establish culture-related websites for their own benefit, but few have wider tangible benefits," he said. "The government should fund Manchu-language classes or relevant culture centers so people don't feel they must work for free in these fields. There should be less talk and more action."

Fu agreed with Dooyvn, saying that although there are many celebrities of Manchu descent - pop singer Na Ying, pianist Lang Lang and Hong Kong actress Rosamund Kwan, to name a few - too little is done by them to promote their heritage.

"There are many well-known Manchu entrepreneurs and celebrities, but they don't pay enough attention to protecting their own ethnic group's culture. Many old Manchus are our last link with living history," Fu said.