Dongxiang Ethnic Group

The cage, jug, "small cleaning" and "big cleaning"

The cage, jug, "small cleaning" and "big cleaning"

The cage, jug, "small cleaning" and "big cleaning"

The cage, jug, "small cleaning" and "big cleaning"

The cage, jug, "small cleaning" and "big cleaning"

The cage, jug, "small cleaning" and "big cleaning"

The cage, jug, "small cleaning" and "big cleaning"

The cage, jug, "small cleaning" and "big cleaning"

The cage, jug, "small cleaning" and "big cleaning"

The cage, jug, "small cleaning" and "big cleaning"

The cage, jug, "small cleaning" and "big cleaning"

The cage, jug, "small cleaning" and "big cleaning"

The cage, jug, "small cleaning" and "big cleaning"

The cage, jug, "small cleaning" and "big cleaning"

The cage, jug, "small cleaning" and "big cleaning"

The cage, jug, "small cleaning" and "big cleaning"

The Dongxiang ethnic group (东乡族) is a unique minority in Gansu Province (甘肃省), self-named “Sarta (撒尔塔),” meaning “merchant.” The group’s name derives from the Dongxiang region (东乡) east of Linxia Prefecture (临夏州). According to the 2020 census, China has 774,900 Dongxiang, with 90% concentrated in Linxia Prefecture (临夏州). The Dongxiang people originated from Central Asian Sarta migrants following the Mongol army in the 14th century, merging with Han (汉), Hui (回), and Mongol (蒙古) groups to form a distinct Islamic ethnic community. The language belongs to the Altaic family, Mongolic branch, with no native script; Chinese is used for written communication. Cultural highlights include Islamic traditions, Hua’er folk songs, felt mat crafting, the epic “Milagaihei (米拉尕黑),” and Zhuangke-style dwellings (庄窠民居).

Population Distribution

Core Provinces and Cities

• Gansu Province (甘肃省): 707,000, 91.2% of the national population, concentrated in Linxia Prefecture (临夏回族自治州).
• Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (新疆维吾尔自治区): 52,000, 6.7%, scattered in Yili (伊犁), Urumqi (乌鲁木齐), Changji (昌吉).
• Other provinces: 15,900, scattered in Qinghai (青海), Ningxia (宁夏), Shaanxi (陕西), Beijing (北京).

Core Counties and Towns (Linxia Prefecture)

• Dongxiang Autonomous County (东乡族自治县): 360,700, 90.54%, China’s only Dongxiang autonomous county.
• Hezheng County (和政县): 82,000, 38.6%.
• Linxia County (临夏县): 75,000, 29.3%.
• Jishishan Bonan, Dongxiang, and Salar Autonomous County (积石山保安族东乡族撒拉族自治县): 41,000, 21.5%.
• Linxia City (临夏市): 38,000, 19.2%.

High-Concentration Townships

Dongxiang Autonomous County (东乡族自治县)

• Suonan Town (锁南镇, county seat): 32,000, 89.2%, political and cultural center.
• Tangwang Town (唐汪镇): 21,000, 98.5%, pure Dongxiang town, home of Apricot Blossom Village (杏花村).
• Hetan Town (河滩镇): 18,000, 92.3%, historically “Lama Chuan (喇嘛川),” dense traditional villages.
• Daban Town (达板镇): 15,000, 88.7%, trade hub along Tao River (洮河).

Other Counties

• Xintianbao Hui Township (新添堡回族乡, Baiyin Huining 白银会宁县): 8,000 Dongxiang, 45%.
• Chengguan Town (城关镇, Hezheng County 和政县): 12,000, 32%.

Folk Culture

Traditional Clothing

Men: white shirt + black vest “Yuxiang (裕祥),” black-and-white skullcap “Haomao (号帽),” long robe “Zhongbai (仲白)” for festivals, waist knife; neat and simple.
Women: bright long robes (red/green), headscarf (green for girls, red for young women, white for elders), silver earrings, bracelets, rings; modest dress preferred.

Traditional Dwellings

Zhuangke (庄窠): courtyard-style adobe houses, rammed yellow earth walls, wood beams, flat roofs for grain drying, enclosed courtyards, carved brick and wood windows/doors, adapted to arid climate.
Mosques: “three-in-one” halls (prayer hall, ablution hall, scripture hall), high minaret, Chinese-Arabic fusion, octagonal tombs for saints (Gongbei, 拱北).

Marriage Customs

• Courtship: groom offers tea, sugar, clothing; matchmaker arranges with bride’s consent.
• Engagement: gifts of jewelry, fabric, mutton; engagement banquet includes Sanpao Tea (三泡台), wedding scheduled on Friday.
• Wedding: Nikah ceremony in mosque, imam officiates; feast with hand-held mutton, oil pastry, Dongxiang Pinghuo (均分羊肉) symbolizes equality; post-marriage cohabitation; close kin marriage prohibited.
• Special customs: door-blocking wine, crossing fire pits, throwing red dates, singing Hua’er songs.

Etiquette and Taboos

• Greetings: place right hand on chest, respect elders. Serve guests Sanpao Tea, hand-held mutton, oil pastry; guests sit in proper order.
• Forbidden: pork, carrion, blood, alcohol, gambling; no stepping on food, avoid waste.
• Mosque / Gongbei: modest attire, no shoes inside, no loud noise; during Ramadan, no public eating/drinking.
• Food: avoid left-hand passing, do not address elders by first name, women should cover hair outside.

Religion and Beliefs

Islam (Sunni, core faith): five major sects (Hufeiye, Zheherenye, Gadirenye, Kuburenye, Ikhwani), observe Five Pillars (Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, Hajj).
Sufi branches (Menhuan 门宦): e.g., Humen, Beizhuang; Gongbei tombs important religious sites blending mysticism and ritual.
No totem worship; religious culture dominates community life, mosque is social hub.

Traditional Festivals

1. Eid al-Fitr (开斋节 / Meatzi Festival): 10th month Islamic calendar, 3 days; marks Ramadan end, gratitude to Allah, family reunion, charity. Activities: mosque prayer, new clothes, visiting relatives, exchanging oil pastry / Sanzi (馓子), hand-held mutton feast, charity, singing Hua’er.
2. Eid al-Adha (古尔邦节 / Sacrifice Festival): 12th month Islamic calendar, 5 days; commemorates Prophet Ibrahim, animal sacrifice, blessing, social unity. Activities: mosque prayer, dividing meat into three (self, guests, charity), oil pastry feast, visiting relatives, preaching, Hua’er duets.
3. Mawlid (圣纪节 / Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday): 3rd month Islamic calendar, 1 day; prayers, recitations, charity, cultural gatherings, oil pastry / stew meals.
4. Ashura (阿舒拉节): 10th day of lunar month; commemorate Prophet Noah’s ark survival, blessing, aid to the needy. Activities: porridge cooking, charity, prayers, family gathering.

Cultural Arts

1. Hua’er Folk Songs (花儿, national intangible heritage): high-pitched, free-form songs about love, hardship, life; everyone can sing, improvisational lyrics; Linxia is “Hometown of Hua’er.”
2. Felt Mat Crafting (擀毡技艺, national intangible heritage): handmade wool mats, black/white/colored, geometric patterns, moisture-proof, used for bedding and decoration.
3. Epic “Milagaihei (米拉尕黑)” (national intangible heritage): long narrative poem, Dongxiang language, stories of heroism, love, homeland protection; symbolic of ethnic spirit.
4. Architecture (Hezhou Three Wonders 河州三绝):
   • Brick carving: mosque, Gongbei, Zhuangke walls, floral, geometric, Arabic inscriptions.
   • Wood carving: doors, beams, columns; peony, lotus, vine patterns, elegant and rustic.
5. Folk Dance and Sports: feast dances (weddings/festivals), Zhezibai (哲兹白) collective circle dance; sports: waist tug, wrestling, horse racing, archery, Da’ga stick game.

Cuisine

• Main ingredients: wheat, barley, potatoes, lamb, local chicken, wild vegetables.
• Signature dishes: Dongxiang hand-held mutton (贡羊), Diguo stew potatoes (地锅锅), Maizo barley paste (麦索), noodle intestines (面肠), chicken tail banquet, clear mutton soup.
• Snacks: oil pastry, Sanzi (馓子), steamed buns, sweet wheat porridge, meat congee (拉什哈), potato cakes.
• Drinks: Sanpao Tea (三泡台, tea with sugar, red dates, longan, goji berries), Fu tea (茯茶), milk tea.

Cultural and Tourist Attractions

Museums

• Dongxiang Autonomous County Museum (东乡族自治县民族博物馆, Suonan 锁南镇): only Dongxiang-themed museum; 1,144 artifacts (Ma Family kiln pottery, felt tools, clothing, religious items); exhibitions on folk customs, history, fossils, dwellings; free admission.

Scenic Areas

• Tangwang Apricot Blossom Village (唐汪杏花村, 3A, Tangwang 唐汪镇): only pure Dongxiang town, 10,000 acres of apricot orchards (March–April), Zhuangke dwellings, Maxiang Village (马巷民宿), Tao River (洮河) scenery, hands-on Hua’er, felt, hand-held mutton experience.
• Bulenggou Folk Village (布楞沟民俗村, 3A, Suonan 锁南镇): traditional Yellow Loess Plateau village, Zhuangke clusters, folk experience area, intangible heritage workshops, Milagaihei epic performances.
• Shengshi Binhu Tourism Area (盛世滨湖旅游区, 4A, Hetan 河滩镇): Yellow River / Tao River scenic lake, Dongxiang culture park, Gongbei cluster, riverside port, water park, natural + cultural integration.
• Linjia Archaeological Site (林家遗址, 3A, Suonan 锁南镇): core site of Ma Family kiln culture; “China’s first knife” excavated, pottery restoration, archaeology study, camping base.

Traditional Villages

• Yaoshui Village (舀水村, Hetan 河滩镇): Silk Road post station, Tao River port, Gongbei, mosque, Zhuangke cluster, long-standing trade, Chinese-Arab fusion architecture.
• Maxiang Village (马巷村, Tangwang 唐汪镇): core village of Apricot Blossom Village, Ming-Qing dwellings, apricot orchards, guesthouses, active cultural preservation.
• Lama Chuan Village (喇嘛川村, Hetan 河滩镇): historic Zhuangke dwellings, wood & brick carvings from Yuan dynasty, 800 years of Dongxiang heritage.

Ancient Towns

• Suonanba Ancient Town (锁南坝古镇, Suonan 锁南镇): county seat, cultural center, Ming-Qing architecture, mosque, museum, commercial street, typical Yellow Loess Plateau townscape.
• Tangwang Ancient Town (唐汪古镇, Tangwang 唐汪镇): Silk Road trade town, pure Dongxiang settlement, Apricot Blossom Village, Tao River dock, historic dwellings, “Little Jiangnan of Longshan.”
• Hetan Ancient Town (河滩古镇, Hetan 河滩镇): Yellow / Tao River riverside, high gorge lake, Gongbei cluster, traditional village, integration of Dongxiang culture and natural scenery.

Travel Guide

Best Time to Visit

• March–April (Apricot Blossom Season): Tangwang Apricot Blossom Village in full bloom, Hua’er festivals, folk performances, photography season, pleasant 10–20°C.
• June–August (Summer): cool 15–25°C, Eid al-Fitr / Eid al-Adha, religious ceremonies, food feasts, Hua’er duets, peak folk atmosphere.
• September–October (Golden Autumn): potato harvest, pepper ripening, Diguo stew / Maizo dishes, Yellow Loess Plateau forests in colors, great for fruit picking.

Suggested 3-Day Itinerary (Lanzhou → Dongxiang → Linxia)

Day 1: Lanzhou → Dongxiang (Suonan 锁南镇) → Ethnic Museum → Bulenggou Folk Village (intangible heritage experience, Milagaihei performance) → stay in Suonan Zhuangke guesthouse.
Day 2: Suonan → Tangwang Apricot Blossom Village (orchard trekking, Hua’er duet, Maxiang guesthouse) → Tao River scenery → stay in Tangwang.
Day 3: Tangwang → Hetan (Yaoshui Village, Shengshi Binhu Tourism Area, Gongbei cluster) → Linxia City (Bafang Shisan Lane, painted pottery museum) → return.

Cultural Experiences

• Intangible Heritage: felt mat making, Dongxiang embroidery, pottery restoration, oil pastry / Sanzi, Sanpao Tea preparation.
• Music and Dance: Hua’er singing, feast dance, Zhezibai collective dance, taught by local artists.
• Festivals: Eid al-Fitr prayers, Eid al-Adha sacrifice, Mawlid recitation, Hua’er duets.
• Cultural Exploration: Zhuangke dwelling visits, mosque / Gongbei explanations, Milagaihei epic listening, felt workshop study.
• Food Tasting: hand-held mutton feast, Diguo stew potatoes, Maizo with chili, sweet wheat porridge, Sanpao Tea tasting.

Travel Tips

• Religious Etiquette: modest clothing (long pants / skirts, shoulders & knees covered), no shoes inside mosques / Gongbei, no loud noise, no photography without consent; no public eating during Ramadan.
• Folk Respect: ask permission before photographing villagers; do not enter dwellings without invitation; do not step on food; avoid left-hand passing.
• Clothing Advice: Mar–Apr: light jacket, sun protection; Jun–Aug: long pants / skirts for religious sites, sun protection; Sep–Oct: warm jacket, sweater; non-slip shoes for ancient villages.
• Food Tips: salty, meaty, flour-based dishes; avoid pork and alcohol; respect religious taboos.
• Environmental Care: protect Loess Plateau ecology, no littering, no wild plant picking; preserve dwellings and farmland integrity.