The Qiang Group is a minority of China which dwells in mountainous areas. The total population of Qiang is about 326,500. Most of Qiang people inhabit in northwestern Sichuan Province, such as Wenchuan County, Maoxian County, Lixian County and Beichuan County. They speak their own language which belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family of languages. Qiang people call themselves as Erma which means natives or locals in English. Qiang is the name of the group given by the Han people. It means the shepherds in the western China highland. Qiang people are well-known as a group living above clouds.
The History of Qiang
The modern Qiang Ethnic Group originated from the Ancient Qiang People which are considered as the origins of many nationalities in China at present, such as the Han Group, Tibetans and the Yi Group. Historians believe that the ancient Qiang people originally resided on the Qinghai-Tibet High Plateau. Some of the tribes migrated to Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu around 5,000 years ago. Chinese people are known as the descendants of Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang. Both were chieftains of the two strongest tribes in ancient China. The two tribes united and formed the Huaxia Kingdom around 4,500 years ago. The kingdom annexed some other tribes in the central China. Huaxia was the former name of the Han Group. Emperor Yan’s tribe belonged to the Ancient Qiang. The first dynasty in Chinese history is the Xia(2100BC-1600BC). It was founded by the son of King Dayu. The king was from one of the ancient Qiang tribes which lived in the upper reach of the Minjiang River. In the year of 221 BC, Emperor Qin-Shihuang unified the whole China and established the first empire in Chinese history. The full name of his country was the Qin-Qiang Empire. During the Han Dynasty(202BC-220AD), the Huaxia Group became the majority of the country. They started to call themselves as the Han. They also renamed the minorities which inhabited in the border regions, namely the “Dong-Yi” in the east, the “Qiang” in the west, the “Di” in the north and the “Man” in the south. Qiang referred to the nomadic tribes in the west China highland. During the Song Dynasty, the Tangut-Qiang established the Western Xia Kingdom(1038-1227). It occupied the present Ningxia, Gansu and the northeastern Qinghai. Some of the ancient Qiang tribes were assimilated into the Han and Tibetans. A small number of the ancient Qiang people have kept living in their own traditional ways for thousands of years and have become the foundation of the modern Qiang Ethnic Group. However, the ties of blood and culture between the Qiang and the Han are time-honoured and extremely close. Emperor Yan and King Dayu are worshiped by both the Qiang and the Han as their common ancestors. Even the primitive beliefs and witchcraft of the ancient Qiang became one of the three foundations of Taoism, the native religion of Chinese Han.
The Food of Qiang People
Qiang people plant a variety of crops, such as corn(maize), potato, wheat, barley, and vegetables. They also breed and keep scores of livestock, like cattle, pigs, goats and sheep. Both the barbecue mutton and the cured pork are quite popular among the locals.
Qiang’s Architecture
The traditional construction of Qiang is considered as a feat of architecture. Qiang people usually built up their villages on mountain slopes. The back walls of the houses join together and form a defending wall of the fortress. Watchtowers stand at each corner of the village. All the constructions are made of irregularly shaped stones. In ancient times, the Qiang tribes were always attacked by other groups. That is the reason why they built their fortress on mountain slopes. The villagers place some white stones on the roofs of their houses and watchtowers. That is one of the ways how Qiang people worship their god.
Qiang’s Traditional Costume
The traditional dress of Qiang people is simple but beautiful. Both men and women dress themselves in cotton or silk gowns and sleeveless wool jackets. The costume for women is trimmed with lace and silver ornaments. The women usually ware earrings, necklaces, hairpins, embroidered shoes and girdles. They are good at embroidering. The Qiang embroidery has been added to the list of national intangible cultural heritages.
Qiang’s Folk Customs
Most of Qiang people are followers of their own primitive religion. It is a kind of animism. They worship the Heavenly God, the Mountain God and others. Wizards are called Shibi or Xu by Qiang villagers.
Like the Han, the Qiang people also celebrated the Spring Festival(Chinese New Year), the Dragon Boat Festival, the Moon-Cake Festival and others. They also enjoy their own celebrations, such as the Rite for Worshiping the Mountain God, and the Singing Contest.
Qiang people are good singers and dancers. Guozhuang is a kind of dance shared by Tibetans and the Qiang People. The Qiang’s musical instruments are mainly bamboo flute, gong and sheep-hide drum. The bamboo flute is known as Qiang Flute. It has also been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.
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Author: Tina Luo
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