🕌 How the Hui formed: mostly East Asian with a small western thread

Genomes from 2,280 Hui people across 30 regions reveal five lineages that track geography. Overall, Hui ancestry is predominantly East Asian (Yellow River farmer–related) with a minor West Eurasian component that is strongest in the northwest/north and weakest in the south and islands.

Modeling puts West Eurasian ancestry at about 2–11% (highest in Shandong ~11%), with the rest East Asian. Admixture dates cluster in the Tang–Yuan era (roughly 8th–14th centuries CE), aligning with Land and Maritime Silk Road connections.

Takeaway: A hybrid origin fits best — demic diffusion along the Land Silk Road added a small western layer in northern Hui, while cultural diffusion along the Maritime routes shaped southern and island Hui with little western input.

Source: He et al., 2025. Largest-Scale Genomic Resource Reconstructing the Genetic Origin, Population Structure, and Biological Adaptations of the Hui People.