Hokkien (Fujian Han) DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · China · East Asia
Fujian, on China's southeast coast facing Taiwan, is the homeland of the Hokkien, or Southern Min, speakers, whose sailors and merchants carried their language to Taiwan and across Southeast Asia. This page uses the Fujian Han average. Interestingly, the Southern Chinese Neolithic reference in our model comes from Fujian itself: Tanshishan, a coastal Late Neolithic site. Yet the modern Fujian Han average is only 28.9% Southern Chinese Neolithic and 71.1% East Asian (northern Han reference). Ancient DNA studies show that the coastal Neolithic ancestry of southern China later received large inputs from the north, while it survives much more strongly in Austronesian speakers such as the Amis of Taiwan, who come out at 100.0% in our model. The closest modern averages are Han samples from Hunan and Guizhou, a Mongol group from Bijie and the She of Fujian (0.0164), and the closest ancient group is a Ming to Qing-era population from Chuanyun in Fujian itself (0.0283).
- Ancient components in our model: East Asian 71.1%, Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers 28.9%
- Closest modern population in our data: Han (Hunan), distance 0.0138
- Closest ancient group in our data: China Fujian HP Ming-Qing Dynasty Chuanyun, distance 0.0283
Where does Hokkien (Fujian Han) DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Hokkien (Fujian Han) individuals sampled in China, listed in the G25 sheet as "Han_Fujian" and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Hokkien (Fujian Han) average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Hokkien (Fujian Han) average comes out as 71.1% East Asian and 28.9% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers. The East Asian component reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia. The Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers share (28.9%) reflects the Neolithic rice and millet farmers of southern China, whose descendants spread into Southeast Asia. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.029): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Fenghuang – Sinosphere Report
Closest modern populations to Hokkien (Fujian Han)
Genetically, the Hokkien (Fujian Han) average sits nearest to Han (Hunan) at 0.014, Mongol (Bijie) at 0.016 and She (Fujian Ningde) at 0.016. On our scale, a distance of 0.014 counts as very close. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Mongol (Bijie) (0.016), She (Fujian Ningde) (0.016) and Tujia (Guizou Tongren Jiangkou) (0.019). Even the tenth closest, Tujia (Chongqing Youyang), is only 0.024 away: Hokkien (Fujian Han) belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Han (Hunan) | 0.0138 | Very close |
| 2 | Mongol (Bijie) | 0.0161 | Very close |
| 3 | She (Fujian Ningde) | 0.0164 | Very close |
| 4 | Han (Guizhou) | 0.0173 | Very close |
| 5 | Tujia (Guizou Tongren Jiangkou) | 0.0190 | Very close |
| 6 | Gelao (Guizhou Wuchuan) | 0.0197 | Very close |
| 7 | Dong (Guizhou Tongren) | 0.0219 | Very close |
| 8 | Qiang (Guizou Tongren Jiangkou) | 0.0219 | Very close |
| 9 | Tujia | 0.0224 | Very close |
| 10 | Tujia (Chongqing Youyang) | 0.0241 | Very close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Hokkien (Fujian Han)
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Hokkien (Fujian Han) average is China Fujian HP Ming-Qing Dynasty Chuanyun (Qing dynasty, 1644-1912 AD), at 0.028, followed by China Henan LN Shijiahe Baligang and China Henan HP Ming-Qing Dynasty Lusixi. That is a close match: much of the modern profile was already present then, while later movements of people added further layers. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China Fujian HP Ming-Qing Dynasty Chuanyun | Qing dynasty, 1644-1912 AD | 0.0283 |
| 2 | China Henan LN Shijiahe Baligang | Late Neolithic | 0.0300 |
| 3 | China Henan HP Ming-Qing Dynasty Lusixi | Qing dynasty, 1644-1912 AD | 0.0321 |
| 4 | China Inner Mongolia HP Wei Dynasty Qilangshan | Historical period | 0.0330 |
| 5 | China Guizhou HP Song-Ming Dynasty Songshan | Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD | 0.0333 |
| 6 | China Shaanxi LN Longshan Xinhua | Late Neolithic | 0.0342 |
| 7 | China Shandong N Longshan Sanlihe | Neolithic | 0.0361 |
| 8 | China Guizhou HP Yuan-Ming Dynasty Songshan | Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD | 0.0367 |
| 9 | China Guizhou HP Ming Dynasty Songshan | Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD | 0.0377 |
| 10 | China Guizhou HP Song Dynasty Songshan | Historical period | 0.0378 |
Ancient DNA from China
Our ancient DNA database holds 2,865 individuals excavated in present-day China, dated from about 100,550 BC to 1823 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are O2a (168), C2b (74) and N1b (59), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are D4 (208), C4 (121) and B4 (72). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Hokkien (Fujian Han) population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Most frequent mtDNA haplogroups
| Haplogroup | Individuals | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| D4 | 208 | NE34 NE-5 NE5_AmurRiver |
| C4 | 121 | WQM4 NE9 NE-9 |
| B4 | 72 | Tianyuan BS Dushan4-1 |
| F1 | 68 | NE19 WGM35 18R21265 |
| D5 | 50 | BLSM14 BLSM27S BLSM45 |
| U5 | 49 | NLKG218_M5-1 G218M5-3N C3340 |
| G2 | 45 | NE56 JZ24089582-C24-22 S96 |
| A | 35 | M89_Houtaomuga JZ24089566-C8-28 ZJG7 |
Ancient DNA studies on China
- Ancient DNA unveils distinctive ancestries in the Bronze and Iron Ages of East Tianshan (2026)
- Ancient DNA unveils distinctive ancestries in the Bronze and Iron Ages of East Tianshan (2026)
- Genomic characterization of historical Jinlingnan individuals: insights into genetic continuity and trans-Eurasian signals in eastern China (2026)
- Go north: Isotope and aDNA analysis reconstructing the life history of a first-generation immigrant in the early Western Zhou Yan state (2026)
- A prehistoric East-Asian Yersinia pestis genome and a ~5.3 ka trans-Eurasian expansion of plague (2026)
- Genomic signatures of female exogamy and cultural interaction in a Tang Dynasty patrilineal clan (2026)
- Genetic continuity and dietary change during the emergence of millet farming in northern China (2026)
- Genetic continuity and dietary change during the emergence of millet farming in northern China (2026)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 2,865 from China.
Compare yourself with Hokkien (Fujian Han)
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Hokkien (Fujian Han) average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Hokkien (Fujian Han) and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
Keep in mind that a population average is a statistical summary of a limited number of sampled individuals. Real people inside any group vary, some carry more of one ancestry and some less, and no genetic profile decides who is or is not Hokkien (Fujian Han). Use these numbers as a map of deep ancestry, not as a label.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Hokkien (Fujian Han) average. Your own DNA has its own story: Fenghuang – Sinosphere Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people of Sinosphere / East Asian ancestry: ancient regional core (Yellow & Yangtze River Neolithic, Erlitou/Shang/Zhou dynasties, Han Dynasty, Yayoi migration, Tang Dynasty, Manchu/Qing era) versus non-regional outside...
More populations from East Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Hokkien (Fujian Han)?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Hokkien (Fujian Han) average is about 71.1% East Asian and 28.9% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Hokkien (Fujian Han)?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Han (Hunan)), the closest modern populations to the Hokkien (Fujian Han) average are Mongol (Bijie), She (Fujian Ningde) and Tujia (Guizou Tongren Jiangkou). The closest ancient matches are China Fujian HP Ming-Qing Dynasty Chuanyun, China Henan LN Shijiahe Baligang and China Henan HP Ming-Qing Dynasty Lusixi.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Hokkien (Fujian Han)?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Hokkien (Fujian Han) average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Hokkien (Fujian Han) ancestry?
For the Hokkien (Fujian Han) average, the regional report to choose is Fenghuang – Sinosphere Report, which our fit test rates as a good match. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.