This research delves into multicultural education in ethnic minority regions of China, aiming at understanding the state policies in the on-the-ground curricula. Drawing upon a critical analysis of educational policies and curriculum, the study investigates how multicultural education has been conceptualised and enacted in five autonomous provinces (i.e., Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Tibet Autonomous Region, and Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region), which have higher populations of ethnic minorities. The findings highlight key initiatives aimed at ensuring the educational access to ethnic minority students and enhancing teacher training for bilingual education. However, they also reveal a significant discrepancy between policy objectives and localized practices, which has critical implications for educational outcomes. The research explores the potential consequences of these gaps and suggests areas for future policy reforms. By bringing together national and local policy analysis, this study contributes to the broader understanding of multicultural education in the Chinese context, particularly highlighting the challenges and complexities unique to the socio-political landscape in China. The research extends the discourse by suggesting ways to close the policy-curriculum gap to foster more effective multicultural education.