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Bao’an boast distinctive culture
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SHARP, strong and beautiful — these three words are often used to describe the characteristic bladed weapons of the Bao’an people, an ethnic minority group whose members dwell predominantly in north China’s Gansu Province.
With a population just over 20,000, the Bao’an people are among the smallest Chinese minority groups in terms of numbers. They are believed to be the descendents of a branch of Muslim Mongols who were stationed in modern-day Qinghai Province during the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368). Experts speculate that this population later merged with members of the Hui, Tibetan and Tu ethnic groups to form the Bao’an. They were later recognized as a seperate ethnic minority group in 1952, after having formerly been refered to as the Bao’an-Hui.
The Boa’an have their own language, albeit one that lacks a written script. Linguists place the language in the Mongolian group of the Altai language family. Due to their close connections with the Han people, their language borrows heavily from related language groups. Today though, Mandarin Chinese plays an important role in the lives of most Bao’an people.
Members of this ethnic group have historically inhabited villages composed of flat-roofed low houses made with clay and wood.
Bao’an men traditionally wear white or black visorless round caps, white cloth shirts and black sleeveless jackets. Black robes decorated with hems of varying widths and colors are often seen at Bao’an festivals, as are colorful waist belts, cowhide boots and swords.
The traditional costume of Bao’an women, on the other hand, includes a purple or green shirt paired with dark hand-woven cloth trousers. Some ladies also wear robes down to their knees. Women often don brighter attire during ceremonies.
The Bao’an are also renowned swordsmiths, with the group’s knives and longer bladed weapons being highly sought-after handicrafts. Many of the finest examples of these weapons are made from alloyed cooper, ox horn and soldered silver.
The shuang dao (double swords) and shuanglei dao (double ramparts swords) are among the most common sword types.
A popular game among the Bao’an people is duo yao dao (seizing the sword). With small double swords behind their backs, two contestants in a 12-square-meter space face off in a contests to grab the opponent’s weapon. The game involves not only strength but also speed and strategy.
Staple foods of the Bao’an include wheat, maize and peas, which are usually made into steamed breads and noodles. As adherents of Islam, the Bao’an people take beef and mutton as their major meat sources, avoiding pork, horse, donkey and blood-based food products. All animals consumed by the group must be butchered by an ahung (or imam, a Muslim religious authority) in order to maintain dietary laws prescribed by the religion.
At meal time, passages from the Koran are chanted by senior members of a family to show gratefulness to God. Most Bao’an meals include bread or steamed buns, a meat dish and delicate noodles. Guests are usually invited to sit on the left side of the host and should not start eating until the host splits the meal’s main bread dish.
Apart from observances like the Spring Festival, most festivals celebrated by the Bao’an people are religious in natures. Bairam and Corban are two important events in the group’s calendar. During Bairam, members of the Bao’an typically show their affection for one another by giving food items such as youxiang (fried flour cakes) as gifts.
During festival times, the Bao’an like to sing traditional folk songs. These free-flowing melodies proceed from high to low with a lovely trilling effect.
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