Li (Hlai) DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · China (Hainan) · East Asia
The Li, who call themselves Hlai, have lived on Hainan, the large tropical island off China's southern coast, longer than any other present-day group. Their languages form their own branch of the Tai-Kadai family, and their traditional techniques of spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidery are inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The Li average leans south: 69.5% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmer in our model, with 22.9% East Asian and 7.6% Southeast Asian Neolithic farmer. That southern Neolithic share is the highest among our pages for mainland China and Hainan, well above the Zhuang (52.4%), which suggests that island life limited the northern gene flow that reshaped much of the mainland. The closest modern averages are nonetheless on the mainland: Zhuang from Chongzuo (0.0151) and Tianlin, Bouyei from Guizhou and the Maonan, all Tai-Kadai speakers. The closest ancient groups are Yuan to Ming-era Pingtang Cave in Guizhou (0.0267) and Tang-era Lada in Guangxi.
- Ancient components in our model: Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers 69.5%, East Asian 22.9%, Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers 7.6%
- Closest modern population in our data: Zhuang (Guangxi Chongzuo), distance 0.0151
- Closest ancient group in our data: China Guizhou HP Yuan-Ming Dynasty Pingtang Cave, distance 0.0267
Li (Hlai) is one of the 335 modern populations in our population genetics atlas. The numbers on this page describe the average Global25 (G25) genome of the Li (Hlai) individuals sampled in China (Hainan), listed in the G25 sheet as "Li". Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Li (Hlai) average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Li (Hlai) average, 69.5%, goes to Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers, ahead of East Asian (22.9%) and Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers (7.6%). The Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic rice and millet farmers of southern China, whose descendants spread into Southeast Asia. The East Asian share (22.9%) reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
The fit is loose (fit distance 0.046), which usually means that none of the available reference populations is a close stand-in for part of this ancestry, so read the percentages as rough. 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 Li (Hlai)
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Zhuang (Guangxi Chongzuo) first for Li (Hlai), at 0.015, then Bouyei (Guizhou Qianxinan Ceheng) and Zhuang (Guangxi Tianlin). Even the tenth closest, Sui (Guizhou Sandu Jiuqian), is only 0.019 away: Li (Hlai) belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhuang (Guangxi Chongzuo) | 0.0151 | Very close |
| 2 | Bouyei (Guizhou Qianxinan Ceheng) | 0.0154 | Very close |
| 3 | Zhuang (Guangxi Tianlin) | 0.0155 | Very close |
| 4 | Bouyei (Guizhou Anshun Guanling) | 0.0159 | Very close |
| 5 | Maonan (Guangxi) | 0.0173 | Very close |
| 6 | Zhuang (Guangxi Tianyang) | 0.0179 | Very close |
| 7 | Bouyei (Guizhou Qianxinan Wangmo) | 0.0186 | Very close |
| 8 | Sui (Guizhou Sandu Zhoutan) | 0.0189 | Very close |
| 9 | Sui (Guizhou Libo) | 0.0191 | Very close |
| 10 | Sui (Guizhou Sandu Jiuqian) | 0.0193 | 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 Li (Hlai)
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Li (Hlai) average is China Guizhou HP Yuan-Ming Dynasty Pingtang Cave (Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD), at 0.027, followed by China Guangxi HP Southern Tang Dynasty Lada and China Guangxi HP Sui-Tang Dynasty Shenxian. 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 Guizhou HP Yuan-Ming Dynasty Pingtang Cave | Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD | 0.0267 |
| 2 | China Guangxi HP Southern Tang Dynasty Lada | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.0274 |
| 3 | China Guangxi HP Sui-Tang Dynasty Shenxian | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.0323 |
| 4 | China Yunnan HP Yuan Dynasty Dou-Sha-Guan | Historical period | 0.0331 |
| 5 | China Lada 1300BP | c. 650 AD | 0.0344 |
| 6 | China Shenxian 1300BP | c. 650 AD | 0.0364 |
| 7 | China Yunnan HP Nanzhao-Dali Long Ma | Historical period | 0.0379 |
| 8 | China Guangxi HP Southern-Tang Dynasty Yiyang | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.0388 |
| 9 | China Guangxi HP Jin-Southern Dynasties Layi | Historical period | 0.0416 |
| 10 | China Banda 1400BP | c. 550 AD | 0.0430 |
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 Li (Hlai) 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 Li (Hlai)
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Li (Hlai) average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Li (Hlai) 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 Li (Hlai). 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 Li (Hlai) 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 Li (Hlai)?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Li (Hlai) average is about 69.5% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers, 22.9% East Asian and 7.6% Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Li (Hlai)?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Li (Hlai) average are Zhuang (Guangxi Chongzuo), Bouyei (Guizhou Qianxinan Ceheng) and Zhuang (Guangxi Tianlin). The closest ancient matches are China Guizhou HP Yuan-Ming Dynasty Pingtang Cave, China Guangxi HP Southern Tang Dynasty Lada and China Guangxi HP Sui-Tang Dynasty Shenxian.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Li (Hlai)?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Li (Hlai) 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 Li (Hlai) ancestry?
For the Li (Hlai) 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.