Abstract: A survey on the physical characteristics of modern Chinese was carried out in Han nationality and 11 minority nationalities in 16 regions of China in 1979-- 1980. 10997 adults (including 8851 males and 3103 females) from 20 to 60 years old were measured. The cluster analysis and the principle component analysis are used here.
Judging from the dendrogram of male and the scattergrams of both sexes, the physical characteristics of modern Chinese can be divided into two types: the northern type and the southern type.
The northern type is mainly distributed in a wide area to the north of the Yangize River. The population consist of Han and minority nationalities living in North, Northeast and Northwest China, as well as Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.
The southern type is distributed in the area south of the Yangtze River. The population of this type consists of Han and minority nationalities living in South China, Southwest China, as well as Taiwan and Hainan Islands.
In comparison with the northern type, the head of the southern type has a longer sagittal dimension, moderate transverse dimension, narrower bigonial breadth, lower facial height, lower and broader nose and shorter stature. The Mongolian fold is usually absent and the direction of the eye aperture is horizontal in most cases. It has a broader eye opening and a thicker red lip.
The results from the cluster analysis and the principle component analysis coincide with that from the analysis of the immunoglobulin Gm factor in forty populations of Chinese as glven by Zhao (1987). It might be suggested that two types of modern Chinese in physical characteristics have existed since the Neolithic period in China.

Key words: Somatometry; Physical characteristics; Modern Chinese