The Tu

The Tu are a people group that lives in northeast China and believes they are descended from white feathers that were left behind by a flock of cranes. In actuality, the Tu people can be divided into at least two different groups: the Tu and the Mongour. The Tu and the Mongour are separated primarily by language and location. The Mongour live in Minhe county in the eastern part of Qhinghai Province whereas the Tu people live in north central China, primarily in the Huzhu Tu Autonomous County in Qinghai Province. The Tu can also be found in Ledu, Menyuan, and the Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County in Gansu Province. The Tu language is essentially a form of the Mongolian language, but with at least 11 different dialects. Some Tu speak only Mandarin; others speak a language called Bonan as their mother tongue.

Mongour also belongs to the Mongolian branch of the Altaic language family and might actually be a form of ancient Mongolian. While its basic vocabulary is the same as, or at least very similar to, the Mongolian language, it is considered the most divergent Mongolian language of all. Tu and Mongour are so different that the Tu and the Mongour cannot communicate with each other through their own languages; they must use Mandarin to communicate.

The Tu and the Mongour borrow many religious terms from the Tibetan language and a large number of everyday words from the Han language. In 1979, a script based on the Roman alphabet was developed for the Tu people and is now being used in local schools and even in a Mongour magazine.

The history of the Tu people begins with the invasion of their land by the Mongol army. The Mongol soldiers intermarried with the local people and the offspring of these marriages became the ancestors of the Tu. The Tu consider the connection between themselves and the Mongolians so strong that they actually call themselves "White Mongolians." The Mongour do not call themselves "White Mongolians," but they do have the same history as the Tu and were eventually separated into clans that settled in different areas.

Both the Tu and the Mongour men and woman wear shirts with collars that are embroidered with bright, well-blended colors. The men typically dress in cloth robes, sometimes wearing high collared fur gowns in the winter and often wearing felt hats with brocade brims. The women wear jackets tilted in the front with sleeves made of five different kinds of cloth with many different colors. What distinguishes the Tu dress from other groups nearby is their elaborate and complex use of needlework, and the "rainbow" effect given to most of their clothes (even their shoes!) through the use of bright colors.

The Tu are primarily herders and farmers, once known for their expertise in animal husbandry, especially of goats and sheep. Farming became common among the Tu during the Ming Dynasty. The Tu are also known for their singing and dancing, especially during their elaborate celebrations and festivals that make use of many folk songs and dancing groups. The Tu are also known for their hospitality and the unique way they show it. A guest or visitor is greeted outside the village and presented with three cups of wine. The visitor must drink this wine before entering the village. Once inside the village, he or she is presented with three more cups of wine, which also must be drunk. Finally, upon leaving the village, the guest must again drink another three cups of wine.

There are two types of marriage in the Tu and Mongour culture. An unmarried woman will wear one long ponytail to indicate that she is unmarried and available for prospective partners. Parents will arrange a marriage between their children and the bride will go to live with the groom and his family. The second kind of marriage is called a "Marriage to Heaven." This occurs when a young woman is still unmarried when she reaches the age of fifteen and her parents perform a ceremony that will "marry" her to heaven. This permits the young woman to have different sexual partners while still living with her own family. If she bears children, there is no shame, and the entire community will care for them. The Mongour have a similar custom called "Married to the Pole" where the young woman stays with her parents but takes in various lovers. Any children born to her will take the name of her family.

The overwhelming majority of Tu (99.9 per cent) are adherents to Lamaistic Buddhism. There are four large Buddhist monasteries located in regions where the Tu live. The Mongour emphasize two types of shamans or priests-a white or healing priest, and a black or cursing priest-as well as a figure known as a kurtain, a person considered to be possessed by a Taoist spirit. These shamans or priests are also part of the Tu religion. Another religious rite celebrated by the Tu is the annual "Nadun Festival" which focuses around the "Fala," a Tu medium who impales himself with as many as twelve iron nails and is possessed by the Erlang god.