User:チャリス/sichuan immigration

The migration to Sichuan, including today's Sichuan province and Chongqing municipality, has been ongoing since prehistoric times. Various movements have occurred throughout its ancient history, despite the region's geographical isolation and mountainous surroundings. The most notable migration movement is "Huguang filling Sichuan" during 17th to 18th century, which shaped the modern population and ethnicity makeup  of Sichuan.

Pre Qin rule
The exact origins of Sichuan's early inhabitants remain uncertain, but it is thought that some migrated through the mountainous areas around the basin, while others might have already lived there for a period before settling in Sichuan. This mainly consist of two routes, one from the edge of Tibetan Plateau through western mountains, and the other from the plains of downstream of the Yangtze River went upstream via the Three Gorges. Their settlement in Sichuan could date back approximately 5000 to 7000 years ago. Cancong (Chinese: 蚕丛), one of the earliest legendary figures in Shu mythology, was said to have hailed from the mountains west of the Chengdu Plain.

Migrants from the east and west respectively developed the Ba and Shu cultures after entering Sichuan. This was not until Qin occupied Sichuan and overthrew the governance of local regimes, including Ba and Shu. After annexed by Qin, Ba and Shu people started to move out from Sichuan Basin. The majority of the Shu populace, including nobles and commoners, decided to migrate south, with the furthest branch reached what is now northern Vietnam, where Shu's prince Thục Phán established the kingdom of Âu Lạc. As for the Ba people, some moved to the mountains, while the remaining population was gradually assimilated by the Han Chinese. This significant outflow of native Sichuan people emptied the region's population.

After Qin rule
After seeing the considerable decline of population in Sichuan,