Hoklo

Hoklo, also commonly associated with Hokkien, is an ethnolinguistic designation used for people whose ancestral homeland lies in southern Fujian, China, and for the language they traditionally speak. The term is often used to describe Fujian-origin Han Chinese communities that migrated to Taiwan and to other regions in Southeast Asia. In Taiwan, Hoklo typically denotes the largest Han group descended from Fujian migrants and their descendants.

The Hoklo language, or Taiwanese Hokkien, belongs to the Minnan (Southern Min) branch of Chinese. It functions as a community language in Taiwan alongside Mandarin and Hakka and is widely spoken in daily life and media, especially among older generations. Dialects reflect origins in Quanzhou and Zhangzhou; historically its writing was recorded with Pe̍h-ōe-jī in missionary and educational contexts, though today a variety of orthographies are used.

Historical migration from Fujian intensified during the Qing period, with large numbers settling in Taiwan from the 17th to 19th centuries. Hoklo communities formed the island’s demographic majority and have significantly shaped Taiwanese culture, politics, and everyday life. Dispersed populations of Hoklo speakers are also found across Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and various Indonesian urban centers.

Cultural traditions associated with Hoklo communities include Mazu worship, temple festivals, and folk music such as Nanguan and Taiwanese opera. Culinary traditions emphasize Fujian-influenced seafood and noodle dishes. The terms Hoklo and Hokkien also intersect with regional identities in Taiwan, Fujian, and the broader Chinese diaspora, reflecting both language and lineage rather than a single fixed ethnicity.