The Dongxiang ethnic group, numbering about 380,000 in total, can
be found mainly in Dongxiang Autonomous County of Gansu province
with the remainder scattered in Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang provinces.
The Dongxiang's ancestral roots can be traced back to the Sarta
people that lived in the Central Asia. During the Western Expedition
of the Mongolian Army in the 13th century,  they
moved to Gansu province where they settled down. Previously identified
by various names such as "Dongxiang Huis" and "Mongolian
Dongxiang", they were formally named Dongxiang ethnic group
after the founding of the People's Republic of China.
The Dongxiang language, which is basically the same as the Mongolian
language, belongs to Mongolia Austronesian of Altai Phylum. Thus,
it does not have its own character set. Nowadays, Chinese language
and characters are widely used by the Dongxiang people.
The Dongxiang believe in Islam, which itself is divided into three
sects - the Old, the New and the Emerging sects.
The Dongxiang mainly engage in agriculture. Livestock rearing,
especially of sheep, plays an important role in their economic life.
Their major products include potatoes, wheat, maize, hemp, rapeseed
and other industrial crops. The Dongxiang's "three treasures",
namely apricot, melon and fruit and date, enjoy good reputation
throughout China.
As Muslims, the Dongxiang do not eat pigs, dogs, horses, donkeys
and mules. Consumption of animal blood and the meat of animals that
died of natural causes are also forbidden. The Dongxiang have a
strong liking for tea and their extensive variety of tea ware is
a testimony to this.
The clothes of this ethnic group vary greatly. Their men often
wear soft flat cap in white, black and brown colors, white shirt
with black waistcoat on it, and black or blue trousers. In winter,
they put on sheepskin leather coat for warmth. Young women love
wearing thread-knit colored cap or embroidered fabric colored cap
and all the women wear the veil.
The Dongxiang ethnic group has a colorful and rich folk literature,
which includes legends, stories, folk songs, riddles and proverbs.
The Dongxiang folk song "Huaer" (flower) is an example
of a traditional form of expression through which hopes for a better
life are expressed and opposition to oppression are put forward.
Major festivals of Dongxiang include Korban Festival, Almsgiving
Festival and Kaizhai Festival.
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