The Yugurs, with a population of 10,569, mainly live in Sunan Yugur Autonomous County and Huangnihan Yugur Township of Jiuquan City, Gansu Province.
The Yugur are descended from an ethnic group known in the Tang Dynasty as Huigu, who roamed in the Ergun River Basin. In the mid-9lh century, a branch of the Huigu group settled down in today's Dunhuang. Zhangye and Wuwei in the Hexi Corridor of Gansu Province. Therefore, they were called "Hexi Huigu" in history. Later, the close contacts between these people and neighboring minorities, helped the formation of a new nationality.
Teachers give regular lessons to children living in remote pastures.
The Qilian Mountains in autumn.
Yugur herdsmen.
Yugur women, living in the east ol the Qilian Mountains, wear rich dress. Elaborate embroideries can be found on their collars, chests and sleeves. They also wear colorful necklaces.
Yugur women use self-made knitting wool to weave winter aprons.
The Yugurs call themselves "Yaohu'er". According to historical records, ancestors of the Yugurs were called "Huangtou Huigu" in the Song Dynasty, "Sali Weiwu" in the Yuan Dynasty, "Sail Weiwuerh" in the Ming Dynasty and "Xila Weiguerh" in the Qing Dynasty. After the founding of new China, they were generally called the Yugur Nationality with their wishes.
Located in the middle part of the Hexi Corridor, which is a narrow zone in the north- em foothills of the Qilian Mountains, the Yugur areas are excellent natural pastures covered with thick virgin forests and home of a great number of rare wild animals and plants. The Qilian Mountains reserve rich mineral resources, and the valuable jadestone makes the Yugur people world famous.
The Yugurs use three languages. The western Yugurs living in the west of Sunan Yugur'Autonomous County speak the Yaohu'er language, which belongs to the Turkic group of the Altaic family. The East- em Yugur language or called Enger, used by those living in the east of Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, belongs to the Mon¬golian group of the Altaic family. Chinese is mainly used in Huangnibao of Jiuquan and Shuanghai area of Sunan. As the Yugur lan¬guages have no script. Chinese is the com¬mon communicating and writing language among the different groups of the Yugurs.
The Yugurs, most of them are herdsmen, believe in Lamaism. Their cus-toms and habits ure similar to the Tibetans.
