Abstract: Eighty-six physical characteristics on 315 urban adults (150 males and 165 females) and 407 rural adults (216 males and 191 females) of Han were investigated in Wenchang County, Hainan. Fifty-one physical indices were calculated and compared with other groups in China.
The results were as follows: 1) The percentage of upper eyelid eyefold were high and that of the Mongoloid fold low. The eye slits were thin with external angles mostly higher than internal? angles.? The? nasal? root? height? was? of? medium? type.? The? nasal? profile? was? straight,? the? nasal base upturned and the maximal diameter of nostrils oblique. The height of the alae nasi was of medium type and the breadth was of wide type. The lobe were mostly round or triangle. The upper lip skin height was of medium type. Thickness of lips was thick. Hair color was black, and skin color and eye color are dark. 2) Typical physical characteristics of the Han was over- brachycephaly, hypsicephaly, metriocephaly and mesorrhiny. In addition, males were mesoprosopy and females were leptoprosopy. 3) These Han of Hainan had long trunks, medium chest circumference, medium shoulder breadth and medium distance between the iliac crests. In addition, males were mesatiskelic type and females subbrachyskelic type. Rural and urban adults (including males and females) were of mid-stature. 4) The Han characteristics of the head and face were close to the North Asian type of Mongoloid. The characteristics of their body lie between the North Asian type of Mongoloid and the South Asian but more closely to the North Asian type.

Key words: Somatoscopy; Anthropometry; Hainan; Han