Originating from the Huihe people who were nomads around the E'erhun River during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the Yugur ethnic group now has a population of about 15,000 and 90 percent of them live in the Su'nan Yugur Autonomous County, and the Huangnibao Yugur Township of the city Jiuquan, in Northwest China's Gansu Province. In Chinese, "Yugur" means "wealth and stability."
Yugur people hold grand wedding ceremonies, which last two days for ordinary people and several days for rich ones. Some customs are quite peculiar. In one, the bridegroom shoots three arrows (that have no arrowheads and will not hurt anyone) to his bride and then breaks the arrows and the bow during the wedding ceremony. According to their culture, this means they will love and live with each other forever. Monogamy is adopted and marriage among people of the same surname and kin is strictly prohibited.
The Yugur wedding ceremony usually lasts two days. The first day is in the bride's house and second day is much more ceremoniously in the groom's. On the first day, relatives from the bride side will come to give their congratulations to the bride's family and present the gift of hada.
