The Bonan ethnic group is one of China's smallest ethnic groups. They mainly cluster in the area around Mt. Jishishan and Linxia County, southwest of Gansu province. The Bonan people may have originated from the amalgamated Mongolians, believing in Islam, Han, Tu, Hui and Tibetan before settling in the Bonan area.

Bonan people live on wheat, corn, Murphy, highland barley and peas as well as beef and mutton. Various animal meats such as pork, beef, mutton, horse, donkey and dog as well as other ferocious birds that naturally die are forbidden in their diets.

The Bonan's language belongs to the Mongolian branch of the Altaic language family. But due to the frequent daily contacts and exchanges with the neighboring Han people, they've evolved to using Chinese as their main communion tool.

The Bonan are culturally close to the Hui. They speak a Mongolian language and are Islamic. They mostly live in Gansu Province.