Mongolian

Catalogue, Ethnic Profile

History

Taboos

Customs

Religion

Clothing

Festivals

Eating Customs

Marriage Customs

Folk Houses

Ethnic Profile

. The name "Mongolia" was recorded earlier in the Book of the Old Tang Dynasty and the National Records of Qidan, which means "eternal fire". Nickname: "the people on horseback". The Mongolians originated in the Ergun River valley, and were called "Mengwu Shiwei" and "Menggu" in history.

Mongolians are mainly distributed in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and the rest are distributed in Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang and other provinces. The population is 4,86,849, (the fourth census in 199), including 13, people in Yunnan, who live in Xinmeng Township, Tonghai County, and are divided into five natural villages: Zhongcun, Xiacun, Baige, Jiaoyiwan and Taojiazui. They are descendants of Mongolians left in Yunnan in the early years of Yuan Dynasty with Kublai Khan's war. It has been more than 74 years since the Mongolian people in Tonghai came from the prairie in the northwest of the motherland to the lakeside at the foot of Qihu and the foot of Fengshan in Yunnan Plateau. For more than 7 years, we have lived in harmony with people of all ethnic groups, had friendly exchanges, overcame all kinds of difficulties and obstacles with the spirit of self-reliance and national cohesion, and built the shore of Qilu Lake and the foot of Fenghuang Mountain into a land of plenty.

Animal husbandry is the main economy for Mongolian people to survive and develop for a long time. In addition, it is also engaged in processing industry, agriculture and industry. At present, farming is the mainstay. Mongolian people are good at singing and dancing, and there are two kinds of folk songs: long and short. The main musical instrument is Ma Touqin. Love wrestling. Mongolian yurts and Lele carts are their companions in nomadic life.

Language and writing: Mongolians have their own language and writing. Mongolian belongs to Mongolian family of Altai language family, and there are three dialects: Inner Mongolia, Weilat and Balhubriat. At present, the commonly used characters were created with Uighur letters in the early 13th century. At the beginning of 14th century, the original characters were reformed by Mongolian scholar Chaji Voser, and it became a standardized Mongolian language. The Mongolians in Yunnan can speak Yi language and Chinese, and their Mongolian language can be roughly communicated with the Mongolian language in the north.

The press, publishing, broadcasting, drama and film industry in Mongolian language have also developed considerably. The Secret History of Mongolia and other classics have been identified as world-famous cultural heritage by UNESCO. The famous heroic epic "Jianger" is one of China's three heroic epics; "Drinking Good Things" is listed as one of the important medical inventions that have made outstanding contributions to world civilization.

main distribution areas: inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Xinjiang, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Qinghai, Hebei, Henan and other places.

History

Mongolians have a long history. The appellation of Mongolia was first seen in the Tang Dynasty, when it was only the name of one of the many tribes in Mongolia. The birthplace of this tribe is in the east bank of the Ergun River, and then it gradually moved westward. Tribes compete to plunder population, livestock and wealth, forming an endless tribal war. In the early 13th century, Genghis Khan unified the tribes in Mongolia and established a unified Mongolian aristocratic regime. In the Western Expedition in 1219, the territory expanded to Central Asia and South Russia. In 1271, the name of Mongolia was changed to Yuan. In 1279, the Southern Song Dynasty was destroyed and China was unified. The Yuan Dynasty fell in 1368. Since the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongolian people have made great contributions to China's politics, military affairs, economy, science and technology, astronomical calendar, culture, art and medicine.

On May 1st, 1947, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was established under the leadership of China * * * Production Party, which became the earliest autonomous region in China. Later, nine autonomous prefectures were established one after another. County:

Subei Mongolian Autonomous County, Gansu Province (July 29, 195)

Bayinguoleng Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang (June 23, 1954)

Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang (July 13, 1954)

Xinjiang and Buksaier Mongolian Autonomous County (September 1, 1954)

Qinghai and Henan Mongolians. September 1, 1956)

Dorbod Mongolian Autonomous County of Heilongjiang Province (December 5, 1956)

Left-wing Mongolian Autonomous County of Harqin, Liaoning Province (April 1, 1958)

Fuxin Mongolian Autonomous County, Liaoning Province (April 7, 1958)

Taboos

Mongolians should not ride fast when riding or driving near yurts, so as not to disturb them. If there is a fire in front of the door or a sign such as a red cloth strip is hung, it means that there are patients or parturients in this family, and outsiders are forbidden to enter; Guests can't sit on the west kang, because the west is the direction of offering Buddha; Avoid the meat of dead animals and donkey meat, dog meat and white horse meat; Avoid red and white when doing funerals and black and yellow when doing happy events; Avoid baking feet, shoes, socks and pants on the brazier; It is forbidden to smoke, spit and touch utensils, classics, Buddha statues and make loud noises when visiting the temple, and not to hunt near the temple.

custom

greet each other when meeting, even strangers; When peers and acquaintances meet, they usually ask "Saibainu" (hello). If they meet elders or people who meet for the first time, they should ask "He Saibainu" (hello). It is a traditional Mongolian virtue to entertain passers-by (whether you know them or not), but you must respect your host when you are a guest in a Mongolian home. After entering the yurt, you should sit cross-legged around the stove on the carpet, but the west of the stove is the owner's residence, and the owner should not sit casually when he is not sitting. Guests usually drink milk tea from the host, and it is impolite not to drink it; The host asks for dairy products, and the guests don't refuse, otherwise it will hurt the host's heart. If it is inconvenient to eat more, eat a little.

offering Hada is also a noble courtesy of the Mongols. When offering Hada, the giver hands down and hands it to the other party, and the receiver should also take it with both hands down or let the giver hang Hada around his neck and express his gratitude.

Mongolian people pay great attention to etiquette and rules when they treat guests. For example, when eating mutton, it is generally to give the sheep's pipa bone with meat and four long ribs to the guests. If beef is used to treat guests, give them a spine with meat, half a rib and a fat intestine. The most grand banquet for guests is the lamb feast. The feast of the whole lamb includes bones, limbs, ribs, thoracic vertebrae, sheep's head, and in some areas, sheep's heart, liver, rectum and belly are also added. The preparation method is to pour all parts of the whole lamb into a cauldron. After the water temperature rises, add a certain amount of cooked yogurt and boil it gently, and turn it frequently. The intestines, belly, heart, liver and burnt sheep's head are boiled in another pot. Serve with seasoning. When opening a banquet, put the cooked parts into a big plate, with the tail facing outwards, and the sheep's head should be engraved with a "ten" symbolizing good luck. When eating, the host should ask the guests to cut the sheep's recommendation bone, or the elderly should cut it first, and then everyone can eat it together. Before the girl gets married, her family must cook the breast of sheep for the girl to eat as a farewell. Roast whole sheep used to be used for sacrificial ceremonies or Aobao, but now it has become a special dish for grand festivals or welcoming VIPs.

Religion

The Mongols believed in Shamanism in the early days, and generally believed in Lamaism after the Yuan Dynasty.

Clothing

Jewelry, robes, belts and boots are the four main parts of Mongolian clothing, and the decorations on women's heads are mostly made of agate, pearls and gold and silver. Men wear robes and waists, and women have embroidered lace patterns on their sleeves and high collars, which are still similar to Mongolians. Women like to wear three clothes of different lengths. The first one is a close-fitting dress with sleeves reaching to the wrist, the second one is a coat with sleeves reaching to the elbow, and the third one is a collarless double-breasted vest with straight rows of flashing buttons, which is particularly eye-catching. Mongolian people have the fashion of solidarity and mutual assistance, and festivals include Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Torch Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. Mongolian people are good at singing and dancing, and there are two kinds of folk songs: long and short. Their favorite dance is called "Jumping Music", and everyone forms a circle, clapping and singing while dancing. In recent years, contacts with relatives in Inner Mongolia have increased, and the "Nadam" grand meeting has been held to attract guests from all over the world.

Festivals

Traditional festivals include "White Festival", offering sacrifices to Aobao, Nadam, and the game of brave people on the grassland: bristle festival, etc.

The biggest festival among Mongolian people in a year is the annual festival equivalent to the Spring Festival of the Han nationality, also known as "Bai Yue". Legend has it that it is related to the whiteness of milk and contains the meaning of wishing good luck. The time of the festival roughly coincides with the Spring Festival. On New Year's Eve, every family eats hand-made meat, and also makes jiaozi and pancakes. On the morning of the first day of junior high school, the younger generation will offer a "farewell wine" to their elders.

In Xilin Gol League, besides the Chinese New Year Festival, the "Horse Milk Festival" is also celebrated every summer. Before the festival, every family should slaughter sheep to make mutton or lamb feast, and also squeeze horse milk to make wine. On the day of the festival, every herdsman's family will take out the best dairy products such as dried milk, cheese and milk tofu and put them on the plate to entertain guests. Koumiss is considered as a holy drink, dedicated to distinguished guests.

Nadam convention: held every summer and autumn during grazing leisure. "Nadam" means entertainment or games in Mongolian. The content includes wrestling, horse racing, archery, dancing, and material exchange. In addition, after liberation, many new contents have been added, such as track and field, ball games, cultural performances, photo exhibitions, film screenings, exchange of production experience, etc., which have become a favorite event of Mongolian people.

Luban Festival is a traditional festival of Mongolian people in Xicheng, Tonghai County, Yunnan Province. It is held every year on the second day of the fourth lunar month for one day. The Mongolian people who live here have learned building technology from other brothers. The houses they built are not only unique and beautiful in shape, but also durable, and are praised by people of all ethnic groups nearby. In order to commemorate and celebrate the achievements in civil construction, they designated the second day of the fourth lunar month as Luban Festival. On the day of the festival, the mud, wood and masons who go out to build will rush home to celebrate the festival, regardless of the distance. Every village has to kill pigs and sheep, and set up an opera. People also picked up the Luban statues carved from sandalwood, beat gongs and drums, and swam straight to the villages. Then, everyone gathered on the field to sing and dance. Their favorite dance is called "Dance Music". When jumping, young men are the first to lead. They embrace the leading ukulele and jump while playing. The crowd behind them is divided into two rows, sometimes in a circle and sometimes interspersed with each other. The formation is changeable, and the scene is very active.

After the festival, the villages are busy harvesting wheat and rapeseed, plowing fields and transplanting rice seedlings. After finishing these farm work, craftsmen went out in droves to contract construction.

Eating customs

There are many distinctive Mongolian foods, such as roast sheep, oven-baked whole sheep with skin, hand-cooked mutton, fried sheep, roast leg of lamb, milk tofu, Mongolian steamed buns, Mongolian pies and so on. There are also: thin cream, Mongolian standing dairy products; Milk skin; The whole sheep banquet is a traditional Mongolian banquet dish, which is also commonly used in sacrificial activities; Cooked roast sheep, a flavor dish in Erdos, Inner Mongolia; Chinese cabbage and mutton rolls; Xinsu cake, a traditional Mongolian folk cake; Dried rice, Mongolian snacks.

Mongolian herders regard sheep as the guarantee of life and the source of wealth. Three meals a day, every meal is inseparable from milk and meat. Food made from milk is called "Chagan Yide" in Mongolian, which means holy and pure food, that is, "free food"; Food made from meat is called "Ulan Yide" in Mongolian, which means "red food".

In addition to the most common milk, Mongolians also eat goat's milk, horse's milk, deer's milk and camel milk. Some of them are used as fresh milk drinks, and most of them are processed into dairy products, such as dried yogurt, milk tofu, milk skin, cream, thin cream, cream residue, cheese crisp and milk powder, which can be eaten at dinner and are also snacks suitable for all ages. Dairy products have always been regarded as excellent treasures. If there are visitors, they should be presented first. If children come, they should also smear milk skin or cream on their heads to show their good wishes.

Mongolian meat is mainly beef and sheep, followed by goat meat, camel meat and a small amount of horse meat, and yellow mutton is also hunted in hunting season. There are more than 7 kinds of traditional eating methods of mutton, such as whole sheep feast, tender skin whole sheep feast, whole sheep feast, roasted sheep, roasted sheep heart, fried sheep belly, braised dishes with sheep brain and so on. The most distinctive ones are Mongolian roast whole sheep (peeling roast), oven roast whole sheep with skin or Alashan roast whole sheep, and the most common one is hand-held mutton. Mongolian people pay attention to clear cooking of mutton, and eat it immediately after cooking, so as to keep the mutton fresh and tender, especially when cooking mutton, avoid overcooking it. However, Mongolians in the Mongolian-Chinese mixed area in eastern Inner Mongolia also like to add seasoning when cooking, and cook the meat into crispy mutton. In some areas, Mongolians also like to cut the meat from the sheep's loin into large pieces and fry them into fried meat slices, which is called "big fried sheep" by the people. Beef is mostly eaten in winter. There are all beef banquets, and more are stewed, braised and made into soup. Camel meat and horse meat are also eaten, and fried hump slices are dipped in sugar, which is regarded as a dish. Experienced chefs are also good at cooking beef tendon, deer tendon, ox whip and oxtail into various therapeutic dishes. For the convenience of preservation, beef and mutton are often made into dried meat and bacon.

Fried rice, a unique Mongolian food, occupies the same important position as red food and white food in daily diet. The Mongolians in the western region also have the custom of "crashing" with fried rice. Add sheep oil, red dates, red and white sugar to make fried rice, mix well, knead it into small pieces, and serve tea as a meal. The steamed millet is mostly used to cook porridge with diced meat, and the minced flour can be used to make pancakes; Various foods made of flour are also increasing in Mongolian daily diet, the most common ones are noodles and pancakes, and they are good at making distinctive Mongolian buns, Mongolian pies and Mongolian cakes with stuffing. The Mongolians in Alashan and Erdos in the west also have the habit of making "Zhang Ru" with flour. Zhelimu League in the east is rich in buckwheat, and pancakes baked with buckwheat flour are a kind of local food with more characteristics.

Mongolian people can't live without tea every day. Except for drinking black tea, almost all of them have the habit of drinking milk tea. The first thing in the morning is to boil milk tea. It is best to boil milk tea with fresh clean water. After boiling, pour it into a clean pot or pot with tea powder, and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then, mix fresh milk with salt and boil it. Mongolian milk tea is sometimes added with butter, or milk skin, or fried rice, etc., which is fragrant, salty and delicious, and is a nourishing drink containing a variety of nutrients. Some people even think that it is ok to skip meals for three days, but not to drink milk tea for one day. Mongolians also like to use the fruits, leaves and flowers of many wild plants for boiling milk tea. The boiled milk tea has different flavors, and some can prevent and treat diseases.

Most Mongolians can drink alcohol, mostly white wine and beer, and some areas also drink milk wine and koumiss wine. When Mongolian people brew milk wine, they first put fresh milk into a barrel, then add a small amount of yogurt-loving juice (more sour than ordinary yogurt) as a starter, and stir it every day. After all the milk turns sour in 3-4 days, they can put it into the pot and heat it. A bottomless wooden barrel is covered on the pot, and several small pots are hung on the inside of the bucket with a big mouth down. Then, an iron pot filled with cold water is placed on the bottomless wooden barrel. After heating, yogurt evaporates and condenses into liquid when it is cooled, and drops into the small pots. Every holiday or when guests and friends get together, they have the habit of drinking heavily. Koumiss wine is made from fresh koumiss by fermentation without distillation.

Marriage custom

Generally, Mongolians begin to talk about marriage in autumn and August. The young man's parents entrusted their trusted relatives to choose a good day to take their son to see his aunt in China. If the girl and parents take a fancy to the young man, they will accept Hada and a plate of cake, and this matter will be settled. Winter is a good day to hold a wedding. After the date is selected by both parties, the groom's family will go to the girl's house in the evening to meet their relatives. At this point, the wedding has begun, and various wedding programs with strong national style and interesting interest have been staged continuously until the East turns pale. The wedding procession just got on the steed and went to the groom's house together with the wedding procession. When it is not far from the groom's house, the procession to see off the bride stops, and the procession to see off the bride rejoins when it gets home.