The Tatar people are a small ethnic group living mainly in Xinjiang, China. You can find them in cities like Yili, Tacheng, Altay, and Urumqi, and also in some countryside areas. They call themselves “Tatar”.
Long ago, some Tatars moved to Xinjiang from other places around the mid-1800s. They came looking for jobs and business chances. In the past, most Tatars worked in trade. Some also farmed, raised animals, or made things by hand. Others worked in schools, culture, or science.
Tatars in cities often live in mud houses with flat roofs and special pipes for heat. Their homes are usually very clean and decorated with wall hangings. They like to plant gardens with flowers and trees. Tatars who move around with their animals live in tents.
Their food is famous in Xinjiang, especially special breads and cakes. For holidays, they make “Gubaidiai” (with cheese, dried apricots, and rice) and “Yitebailixi” (with pumpkin, meat, and rice). Both have a hard outside and a soft inside. They also make drinks like honey beer (“keerxima”) and wine from wild grapes (“Kesaile”).
Traditional clothes for Tatar men are white shirts under black vests or long coats, with black pants and small hats. In winter, they wear fur hats. Women wear long dresses and small hats decorated with flowers and pearls. Today, many Tatars wear modern clothes like people elsewhere.
Tatars love music and dance. Their music is fast and happy. Men dance with lots of leg movements like kicking and jumping. Women dance using their arms and waists more. Their dance style mixes ideas from neighbors but is still special to them.
Every spring, they have a big festival called the “Plough Head Festival” in nice outdoor places. People sing, dance, wrestle, race horses, and play tug-of-war. A favorite game is the “jumping walk” race: people run while balancing an egg on a spoon in their mouth! Tatars also started doing plays very early, with groups performing in cities by the 1930s. They have a rich and happy culture.
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