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Dongxiang share oral tradition
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THE Dongxiang people are an independent ethnic group in China, though many people may confuse them with the Hui ethnic group.
Dongxiang people share the same religion and similar living habits with the Huis, but they are originated from different ancestors and speak their own language.
Located south of the Yellow River, in an area lined by mountains and gullies, the Dongxiang people are characterized by bucolic traditions and easygoing and harmonious living.
Most of them live in the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture and surrounding areas of Gansu Province in northwestern China, while others live in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The 2010 census indicated a population of 621,500.
The Dongxiang people call themselves by the Islamic term Sarta, and until 1950 the name Dongxiang (“East Village”) purely held a geographical connotation. The group was not recognized as a minority until the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Before that, they were considered to be Mongolian Huihui.
While there is no certain theory about the origination of the Dongxiang, many historians agree that they are descendants of Mongolian troops posted in the Hezhou area by Genghis Khan during his journey westward. Other theories indicate that they could be a mixture of many peoples, including Mongolian, Han and Tibetan groups. The ancestor of Hui people, however, were mostly Muslims from Central Asia, with the maternal line consisting of Han, Mongols, Uyghurs and Tibetans.
The Dongxiang language is considered a branch of Mongolia Austronesian of the Altaic phylum. Nearly half of the vocabulary is similar to or the same as Mongolian in pronunciation and grammar. Many Dongxiang people can speak Mandarin, as well, since their language contains quite a number of words borrowed from the Han’s language. Most Hui people, on the other hand, speak the Han language.
The Dongxiang people enjoy a rich tradition of oral literature, such as the popular folk song form “Huaer,” which is sung in daily life and at festivals, where hopes for a better life and opposition to oppression are expressed. It is an example of a traditional form of expression that shows fully the essence of the Dongxiang’s oratory creativity. They are composed of a stanza of four lines in which the singer may improvise any mundane subject into the song to express his or her feelings.
Dongxiang people value their traditional folk songs, most of which are an extension of their oral literature, with epic stories as subject matter. These are mainly performed at wedding ceremonies.
The Dongxiang hold a firm faith in Islam, which can be divided into old, new and emerging sects. Most Dongxiang belong to the old sect, which emphasizes worshipping at the tombs of Muslim saints. There is one mosque for every 30 homes and one paid Muslim worker for every 18 families.
Being Muslims, the Dongxiang people do not eat pork or the meat of dogs, horses, donkeys and mules. Smoking and drinking alcohol is also strictly forbidden.
Instead, they engage mainly in agriculture, living on wheat, highland barley, corn, beans and potatoes. Their specialty dishes include “youxiang” (flour cake with salt, fried in sesame oil), “lahaha” (stretched or planed noodles), and “gajiwa” (chicken that is cut and divided to serve to people according to seniority).
The Dongxiang people are also known for their strong preference for tea, which is considered an indispensable part of every meal.
They boast an extensive variety of tea ware and often treat their guests to the “sanxiangcha” (three-fragrance tea), which has as its major ingredients tea leaves, candy, longans, Chinese dates and preserved apricots.
Over the years, Dongxiang people’s garments have grown quite similar to those of the native Hui. Typically, the men don white or black horn caps, white shirts, black vests and large blue trousers. Other accessories include knives, small bags and snuff bottles that hang around the waist.
Women wear veils long enough to reach their waists and cover their hair. Young girls or newlyweds wear green veils, the middle-aged wear cyan, while the older women wear white.
Young Dongxiang women mainly dress in red or green clothes, adorned with large collared coats, vests and blue trousers long enough to reach the ground.
Most of the Dongxiang people’s important and traditional festivals originate from Islam, such as the Korban Festival, Almsgiving Festival and Eid al-Fitr Festival.
Traditional Dongxiang entertainment includes flambeaux playing, which sets youths dancing in the fields brandishing flaming torches as night falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month. It is said to signify a prosperous year if the flames burn red enough.
Dongxiang
Population: 621,500 (2010 national census)
Distribution: Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture and surrounding areas of Gansu Province, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Language: Dongxiang language, Mandarin
Religion: Islam
Food: Wheat, highland barley, corn, beans and potatoes
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