Tajik Ethnic Group

Pilik Lamp Festival of Tajik Ethnic Group

Pilik Lamp Festival of Tajik Ethnic Group

Pilik Lamp Festival of Tajik Ethnic Group

Pilik Lamp Festival of Tajik Ethnic Group

Pilik Lamp Festival of Tajik Ethnic Group

Pilik Lamp Festival of Tajik Ethnic Group

Pilik Lamp Festival of Tajik Ethnic Group

Pilik Lamp Festival of Tajik Ethnic Group

Pilik Lamp Festival of Tajik Ethnic Group

Pilik Lamp Festival of Tajik Ethnic Group

Pilik Lamp Festival of Tajik Ethnic Group

Pilik Lamp Festival of Tajik Ethnic Group

Pilik Lamp Festival of Tajik Ethnic Group

Pilik Lamp Festival of Tajik Ethnic Group

Boasting distinctive ethnic traits, the Tajik people stand out as the only ethnic group in China speaking languages of the Indo-European Iranian language family. Classified as Indo-Mediterranean Caucasian race, local residents earn the reputations of Eagles of the Plateau and Frontier Guardians of Pamir.

According to the 7th national population census, the total population reaches around 51,000. Over 90% of inhabitants settle in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County (塔什库尔干塔吉克自治县) in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, while the rest scatter across various counties in southern Xinjiang. Descended from ancient Saka tribes, ancestors of Tajik people once founded the ancient Kingdom of Qiepantuo. Local folks have stuck to border defense duties for generations, forming a time-honored tradition that every household acts as a sentry post and every resident serves as a frontier guard.

Two major dialects including Sarikoli and Wakhi are widely used in daily communication, and Uyghur script serves as the common written language. The entire ethnic group believes in Ismaili branch of Shia Islam.

Population Distribution

Major residential areas and demographic details are sorted in the table below.

表格

Folk Customs & Traditional Culture

Traditional Dwelling Style

Local residences are named Lygali (蓝盖力), featuring square flat roofs and solid wood-stone structures. Thick walls are piled up with stones and turf, and roof surfaces are covered with wheat straw mixed clay. Natural skylights bring daylight indoors, and house gates face eastward all year round.

The main living room called Sairanyi is paved with thick felt carpets. Elders and guests take seats separately following local etiquette. Complete housing complexes contain livestock sheds, kitchens and guest rooms, with small courtyards decorated with blooming flowers. Such architectural design perfectly resists strong winds and retains heat under harsh plateau climate. Classic dwelling clusters can be found in Togelunxia Village (托格伦夏村), Kaneryang Village (坎尔洋村) and Caiyun Family Folk Village (彩云人家民俗村).

Ethnic Costumes

Dressing styles carry bold ethnic characteristics and exquisite handmade craftsmanship.

Male locals wear cyan or blue stand-collared long robes, matched with embroidered waist belts, white inner shirts and high-waisted trousers. Wild goat leather boots known as Joluk are daily footwear. Black velvet embroidered caps named Kulita cover heads, and head scarves are wrapped around hair on grand festivals.

Female residents favor vivid colored long dresses with lantern sleeves and pleated hemlines, paired with embroidered waistcoats. Delicate embroidered caps decorated with silver ornaments and bead strings go with white head veils. Silver necklaces, earrings and bracelets serve as common accessories. Embroidery patterns mainly draw inspiration from eagles, wild flowers and geometric shapes.

Daily Etiquette & Marriage Tradition

Gentle and sincere manners are deeply rooted in daily social interaction. Men greet each other with firm handshakes. Elder women kiss younger generations on eyes and foreheads, while young people kiss elders’ palms. Peers exchange cheek kisses, and young women touch young men’s palms as friendly salutes.

Extended families live together harmoniously without separation while parents stay alive. Local people are extremely hospitable, treating distinguished visitors with fresh milk tea, boiled meat and crispy naan bread.

Young lovers pursue free love before marriage matchmakers pay formal visits with naan, milk tea and meat as gifts. Wedding ceremonies last for three whole days. Spectacular performances including eagle dance, eagle flute music and goat chasing games liven up the celebration. Brides wear red veils, and wedding betrothal gifts cover livestock, tailored costumes and fine silver jewelry.

Intangible Cultural Heritage

Tajik Eagle Dance ranks as national intangible cultural heritage. Dancers imitate flying, circling and diving gestures of eagles, showcasing courage and freedom. Traditional musical instruments Eagle Flute (Nay) and six-string rawap play rhythmic accompaniment.

Eagle flute art develops unique melodic charm. Carved from eagle wing bones, the small flute produces clear and resonant tunes, perfectly echoing vigorous eagle dance movements.

Fine Tajik Embroidery adorns costumes, scarves and tapestries with bright colored patterns. Local people also preserve ancient farming customs. Water diversion festival and sowing festival mark spring farming seasons, holding horse racing, wrestling and folk singing performances to pray for bumper harvests.

Traditional Local Festivals

Shogun Bahar Festival

Celebrated on vernal equinox around March, it acts as the grandest new year festival for Tajik communities. Families thoroughly clean houses and put on brand new outfits. Crowds gather around bonfires performing lively eagle dances, accompanied by melodic eagle flute tunes. Villagers scatter highland barley grains to worship heaven and earth, and children lead yaks walking around houses for blessing activities. Horse racing, goat chasing, wrestling and tug-of-war games attract crowds of participants. Festive dining tables are filled with almond tea, boiled meat, crispy naan and thick barley porridge.

Pirik Lamp Festival

Observed on the 14th and 15th day of the 8th Islamic month, this festival aims to honor ancestors and dispel bad luck. Every household lights ghee lamps arranged into auspicious patterns on rooftops, windows and yards on the first festival night. Residents visit cemeteries and light lamps to memorize deceased relatives the next evening. Kids walk along streets carrying small lamps, sharing lamp oil and sending sincere blessings to neighbors.

Eid al-Adha

Local folks gather at mosques for religious prayers. Families slaughter sheep or cattle, dividing meat into three portions for household consumption, relatives sharing and charity donation. People dress up and pay visits to friends and relatives, exchanging homemade naan and fresh meat. Eagle dance shows and accordion performances enrich festive atmosphere, and long street banquets serve traditional meat dishes, baked bread and warm milk tea.

Water Diversion & Sowing Festival

Held in April and May, these festivals mark the start of spring cultivation. All villagers cooperate to repair irrigation channels and break ice for water diversion. Residents sow highland barley and pea seeds with sincere wishes. Outdoor picnics, horse racing and folk dances make farming rituals full of joy and vitality.

Religious Beliefs & Local Taboos

Local residents faithfully follow Ismaili Shia Islam, valuing inner piety rather than rigid formal rituals. Mosques serve as core venues for religious prayers, weddings, funerals and festival ceremonies. The ethnic group also forms deep totem worship toward eagles, together with natural admiration for snow mountains, grasslands and rivers.

Strict daily taboos keep local folk norms well maintained. Travelers need to avoid pork, horse meat, dog meat, rabbit meat, marmot meat, dead animal flesh and animal blood. Alcoholic drinks are forbidden, and wasting grain and salt is regarded as impolite behavior.

Visitors should wear decent clothes instead of revealing outfits or bright red garments when entering mosques. Keep voices low and never smoke inside religious sites. Do not step on religious scriptures or show disrespect to religious priests. Local customs require people to keep hats on during conversations. Dropped grain and salt need picking up and placing at high positions. Damaging grassland vegetation and polluting water sources are strictly discouraged.

Local Specialty Food

Plateau styled food provides abundant energy to resist cold weather, featuring original natural flavors.

Staple Food

Ghee Naan (酥油馕) bakes wheat dough mixed with ghee and fresh milk. Crisp outer crust wraps soft inner texture with rich milky aroma, serving as daily essential food.

Clear boiled mutton keeps original meat taste. Chunks of bone-in mutton cook in plain water, matched with wild chive flower sauce for delicate flavor, widely served on festival feasts.

Thick barley porridge stews barley grains with beef, mutton, ghee and crushed almonds. The warm and hearty dish effectively warms bodies in cold plateau weather. Travelers can also taste soft baked bread soaked in yak milk, enjoying sweet and tender taste for breakfast.

Snacks & Drinks

Charcoal roasted lamb skewers taste fresh and juicy with simple salt and cumin seasoning, becoming popular roadside snacks.

Salty fragrant milk tea brews dark tea with fresh milk, accompanying every meal and treating honored guests. Sweet smooth almond tea mixes ground almond powder with wild honey, specially served during new year festival. Milk skin and milk lumps made from yak milk carry strong natural dairy flavor as popular casual snacks.

Cultural Tourist Attractions

Ethnic Museums

Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County Museum (塔什库尔干塔吉克自治县博物馆) stands as the exclusive museum themed on Tajik culture nationwide, located inside Pamir Cultural Park (帕米尔文化博览园). The two-story exhibition hall displays Pamir plateau wildlife, unearthed historical relics, traditional costumes, musical instruments, wedding customs and ancient daily necessities.

Pishan Tajik Folk Museum (皮山县塔吉克民俗馆) collects over 260 cultural relics covering costumes, musical instruments and living utensils. It sits inside 4A level Tajik Folk Culture Tourist Area (塔吉克民俗文化旅游区) in Naoabati Township, presenting comprehensive local ethnic culture.

Scenic Spots

Pamir Tourist Area (帕米尔旅游区) holds 5A level scenic certification, consisting of multiple charming landscapes. Ancient Stone City Ruins (石头城遗址) owns a 2,500-year history, once acting as the capital city of Qiepantuo Kingdom. Constructed with piled stones without adhesive materials, the grand ancient city remains well-preserved through centuries. Sunset scenery combining stone ruins and snow capped mountains creates stunning photography views.

Aral Golden Grass Beach (阿拉尔金草滩) features vast plateau wetland meadows. Green grass spreads all over the land in summer and turns golden in autumn. Taxkorgan River winds through the grassland, with wooden walking paths, wandering cattle and sheep forming peaceful natural scenes.

Caiyun Family Folk Village (彩云人家民俗村) gathers 27 local homestays. Tourists can experience genuine stone house accommodation, wonderful folk dances, traditional wedding shows and authentic plateau meals.

Why Are the Flowers So Red Scenic Area (花儿为什么这样红景区) lies in Kaneryang Village (坎尔洋村). Sitting at an altitude of 3,000 meters, the village retains complete traditional Tajik culture. Tourist facilities include yak goat chasing playground and observation decks, with regular live folk performances held on site.

Characteristic Villages

Togelunxia Village (托格伦夏村) sits close to county town foot of snow mountains. Traditional stone residences and comfortable homestays welcome visitors to experience ethnic costume dressing, handmade embroidery, milk tea making and authentic eagle dance learning.

Kaneryang Village (坎尔洋村) gains fame as the birthplace of classic folk song Why Are the Flowers So Red. The village boasts profound eagle culture and frequent traditional sports and dance performances.

Kangazi Village (康阿孜村) is listed as national traditional village. Old stone houses, winding ancient alleys and vivid folk wall paintings perfectly preserve intangible cultural heritage.

Bagaegizi Village (巴格艾格孜村) locates in plateau river valley. Simple ancient dwellings keep original nomadic living customs of local Tajik people.

Ancient Towns & Historical Blocks

Taxkorgan Stone City (塔什库尔干石头城) serves as iconic cultural landmark. The ancient fortress once acted as vital strategic hub on ancient Silk Road, witnessing thousands of years of regional historical changes.

Ancient village clusters along Taxkorgan-Shache Road (塔莎古道) connect Taer Township (塔尔乡), Datong Township (大同乡) and Kukushluk Township (库科西鲁克乡). Centennial stone houses, blooming apricot flower valleys and snow mountain landscapes integrate natural beauty and profound human history.

Travel Arrangement & Practical Tips

Ideal Visiting Seasons

Spring from March to April ranks as the best travel period. Tourists join grand Shogun Bahar new year celebration, watching bonfire eagle dances and blessing rituals. Water diversion and sowing folk activities unfold in April and May. Apricot blossoms fully bloom along mountain roads, forming fantastic views pairing white flowers and snow peaks.

Summer between June and August maintains pleasant temperature ranging from 15℃ to 25℃. Lush golden grass beach, outdoor hiking and grassland camping bring relaxing travel experience.

Autumn creates prime photography scenery with golden grassland and clear snow mountain reflections. Grand Eid al-Adha celebration gathers local families for feast and folk performances.

Winter travelers witness fascinating lamp light scenery during Pirik Festival. Indoor eagle flute and dance shows go with warm milk tea, presenting distinctive cold season plateau folk style.

Classic Travel Routes

Five-day In-depth Tajik Culture Journey

Day 1 Depart from Kashgar (喀什市), drive to Taxkorgan County (塔什库尔干县). Visit local museum and ancient stone city ruins, appreciate sunset views at golden grass beach and stay at county homestay.

Day 2 Pay a visit to Togelunxia Village (托格伦夏村) for family cultural experience, watch live folk shows and traditional wedding display at Caiyun Family Folk Village (彩云人家民俗村). Overnight stay inside folk village.

Day 3 Explore Kaneryang Village Scenic Area (坎尔洋村景区) and watch exciting yak chasing games. Drive along Taxkorgan-Shache Ancient Road (塔莎古道) to enjoy valley and snow mountain landscapes. Accommodate in Taxkorgan County.

Day 4 Head to Pishan County (皮山县), tour Tajik folk culture area, folk museum and ancient Kangazi Village (康阿孜村). Rest at local village homestay.

Day 5 Drive back to Kashgar (喀什市) and finish the whole journey.

Three-day Essence Sightseeing Tour

Day 1 Travel from Kashgar to Taxkorgan, explore Stone City, Golden Grass Beach and county museum, settle down in urban accommodation.

Day 2 Experience village folk customs, visit border Khunjerab Pass (红其拉甫国门) with valid travel documents. Stay overnight in county town.

Day 3 Wander around Kaneryang Village and ancient mountain road scenery before returning to Kashgar.

Popular Travel Experiences

Tourists can stay in genuine plateau stone houses, learn classic eagle dance and flute playing skills, and make handmade ghee naan and milk tea. Dressing up in exquisite ethnic costumes leaves impressive travel photos.

Joining seasonal grand festivals offers immersive local lifestyle feelings. Vibrant new year bonfire parties, grand sacrificial feasts and charming lamp festival night scenes become unforgettable travel memories.

Village tours display original plateau living scenes. Natural landscapes including Golden Grass Beach, Stone City and Khunjerab Pass present diverse mountain, river and floral views.

Recommended Local Food

Must taste delicacies cover clear boiled mutton, ghee naan, thick barley porridge, roasted lamb skewers, salty milk tea and sweet almond tea. Handmade milk products, embroidered scarves and miniature eagle flute crafts work well as travel souvenirs.

Accommodation Selection

Comfortable homestays spread in Caiyun Family Folk Village (彩云人家民俗村), Togelunxia Village (托格伦夏村) and Kangazi Village (康阿孜村), providing genuine stone house living experience. County hotels equip complete living facilities with convenient transportation access. Tourists can choose traditional folk residences with felt carpets and warm stoves to enjoy authentic local living atmosphere.

Useful Travel Notes

The average altitude of Taxkorgan County reaches 3,200 meters. Travelers should take proper altitude sickness prevention measures, walk slowly and drink sufficient water after arrival.

Border sightseeing requires valid border pass applied in Kashgar or Taxkorgan. Personal identity certificate must be carried all the time.

Respect local religious traditions and folk taboos. Ask for permission before taking photos of local women and religious ceremonies.

Sharp temperature difference exists between day and night. Windproof outerwear, warm inner clothes, sun hats, sunglasses and sunscreen supplies are necessary travel outfits.