Tǔbái

The Tǔbái are the Yue-speaking Han people of the Xun River basin in central Guangxi, around the former Xunzhou prefecture. Their vernacular, Tǔbáihuà, is classed among the Goulou dialects of Yue, closely related to the Pinghua of southern Guangxi.

Under the Tang, Xunzhou was revived with its seat at Guiping in 633, and in 1368 the Ming made it a prefecture. Through much of the Ming the steep Great Vine Gorge upstream was a stronghold of Yao and Zhuang rebels. Their uprisings were crushed in campaigns led by Han Yong in 1465, Wang Shouren in 1528 and Cai Jing in 1539.

Under the Qing the Wuxuan district was added to the prefecture during the Yongzheng reign, and Guiping became the busiest river port of eastern Guangxi after Wuzhou, carrying goods towards Guangdong.