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The Dongxiang Nationality |
The Dongxiang nationality has a population of over 370,000. They believe in Islam, and have a language without a written form. Their ancestors used to live in central Asia. In the early 13th century, Kublai Khan conquered central Asia and brought back some of the Semu people to live in the Hezhou district of Gansu. These people mixed with the local Mongolians, Tibetans and Hans to become today' s Dongxiang. They mainly work in agriculture, but are good at business too. They have a rich variety of folk arts. Almost everyone can make up and sing Hua'er songs. Many narrative poems and stories have been handed down among the people. The long poem "Meiladuohei and Miss Ma Chenglong" is one example.
The transparent waters of the Yellow River flow slowly from the Qingzang Plateau into the Jishi Valley, where they run wild to the Dongxiang Autonomous County in Gansu Province.This is where the Dongxiang nationality lives.
The Dongxiangs often build their houses on flat areas in the mountains. Each has a separate entrance and courtyard, and is made of wood and brick. Set off by the fruit trees and flowers planted in front, the whole residence looks neat and attractive.
The Dongxiangs enjoy "tea served in covered bowls." They have tea at almost every meal.They take particular care about the tea served to guests. They pul first-grade ralsins, red jujubes, longan, crystal sugar and hlgh quality sweet-scented tea leaves into the bowls and slowly make the tea with boiling water so as to bring out its fragrance. It leaves the drinker very refreshed.
The Dongxiangs are very hospitable. Treating their guests to chicken is traditional good manners. They usually divide the chicken into 13 equal portions, and eat different parts according to their position in the family hierarchy. Of all the 13 parts, the chicken tail is the most special, and only the chief guest or the elder at the banquet is entitled to it.
During the slack season, the Dongxiangs often get together to kill a sheep, cook and share the meat between themselves. They chat while they eat, and seem to enjoy themselves very much. This is said to be a custom handed down from their ancestors who ate the meat in equal portions early in their hunting life.
The costumes of the Dongxiangs vary with sex, age and season. The women usually wear head covers reaching to the waist. Their hair is completely covered, leaving only the face exposed to the outside world. In the past, they liked to wear colorful skirts and embroidered shoes with wooden soles. They insert silver ornaments into their cloth caps, and wear jabots on their bosom.
"Hua'er" is a kind of folksong widespread in Gansu Province. The Dongxiangs call it "duan" or "duandoula." It holds an important place in their lives. There is a song which expresses how they feel about it: "Hua'er springs from deep in my heart, and my love for it will never stop; unless you cut off my head and l'm dead, or I'11 always sing it wherever I get." They have created up to 70 tunes: the First and Second Hezhou Tune and the Shuihonghua Tune are only a few examples. The music often changes with the words, and many tunes have more than one set of words. They sing the praises of love and youth or express their resentment against separation and arranged marriages, all in song. The songs have a wide range of pitches, often very high because both a falsetto and a "true" voice fire used, which makes them especially fascinating.
The Dongxiang wedding ceremony is strongly influenced by Islam. On the wedding day,the groom and his bride-greeting group come to meet the bride at her home. When she arrives at the groom's house, their relatives and friends sing "Hali" to congratulate them. The words are improvised by the guests and are often compliments such as "the groom's is handsome and the bride is beautiful," or "they will love each other and never part." At the climax of the wedding, people will also playfully smear soot on the faces of the groom's father or uncle, or tie their bands and feet in a symbolic way. This is called "teasing father-in-law.'
The young people on the groom' s side lead the newly-weds into their bridal chamber with singing and dancing. The young men then start throwing pillows at the veiled bride as she sits in one corner of the bed. It is said to be a way for the groom's relatives to inspect the bride's dowry and her skilled workmanship. The bride's girl friends, however, form a line of defence to protect the bride and throw the pillows back at the boys. The scene is really exciting.Finally, the bride is unveiled and shows her face before every one. Her cases are also opened to display her valuable dowry.
The Dongxiangs sing special songs while they ram down the soil. There are more than ten different types, and they are usually sung with one person leading and the crowd following in chorus. They can be lyrical or narrative. Work songs like these stop people from feeling tired and keep their spirits up.
Bibi is an ancient folk instrument. For centuries it played sad music, but now, a new light-hearted melody has quietly slipped in. Fresh and open, this new music has overcome the harshness of the country life of the past. It is bringing people new expectations with its unrestrained exciting melodies.
The Dongxiangs live mostly on dry and hilly lands 2,000 meters above sea level. Over the past hundred thousand years, their environment has been damaged by natural and human forces. For a long time, people have become short of water, and the soil has been seriously eroded.In recent years, however,with the continual development of the rural economics, the Dongxiangs are pressing ahead with forestry, stock raising, and other sideline activities while making efforts to increase agricultural production. They are integrating colorful social and economic ways in the search for modern-day prosperity. |
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