Xinjiang is inhabited by people of various ethnic groups. There are forty-seven such groups, with a total population of 1,928 million. Among them, the Uygur, Han, Kazak, Hui, Mongolian, Kyrgyz, Xibe, Tajik, Uzbek, Man, Daur, Tartar and Russian are the main groups. The Uygurs make up the majority, accounting for about 47% of the whole population. Different cultures, customs, holidays, and lifestyles of each ethnic group have made Xinjiang a colorful place, attracting tourists from home and abroad.
The Uygur People
Uygur means 'unity' and 'union'. The people can be traced back to the Dingling people who roved around as a nomadic group in northern China in the third century B.C. Around 8,7 million Uygur people live all over Xinjiang, with the greatest concentrations being in Kashgar, Hotan and Aksu on the south side of the Tianshan Mountains. Garments The men like to wear robes (chapan). The women wear a kind of Chinese style jacket with buttons down the front, and colorful dresses. Men and women, regardless of age, all like to wear the gaiba (four-edged small-cap). Food Milk tea, pilaf, hand-made noodles, roast mutton. Pork, dog meat, donkey meat and mule meat are forbidden.
Culture & Art The Stories of Avanti, humorous and implicit, pregnant with meaning, is a widely known piece of oral literature. The Twelve Mukkam is a famous national epic poem of music and dance. Handicrafts Besides Lesser Bairam and Corban, the Uygur people, who believe in Islam, hold holidays for Maodelu, Duwa, Sahalateman and Balate. During the holidays the Uygur people not only sing and dance, but also hold recreational activities such as goat-tussling, wrestling, skiing and skating.
The Han People
The 7,6 million Han population is scattered throughout Xinjiang. Though their own habits are basically the same as those of the Han people further inland, these people are generally familiar with the customs of the ethnic groups in the Western Region. Many can speak ethnic languages, so they live in harmony with the other ethnic groups.
The Kazak People
Kazak means 'refugees'. Their ancestors are the Wusun and Kangju tribes from the western and eastern Han Dynasties. The 1,33 million Kazak people are mostly distributed in the IN Kazak Autonomous Prefecture and the Mori Kazak Autonomous Country near the Tien-Shan Mountains. They mostly lead nomadic lives. They live wherever grass grows and move according to the season and are thus very hospitable. Visitors are warmly received no matter whether they are old friends or strangers. Garments The men wear long sheepskin coasts and riding boots, appearing handsome and warrior-like. The women like to wear dresses with silvery decorations that jingle while they walk.
Food They mostly eat dairy produce and meat. Specialties include dried and fresh milk curd, pilaf mutton, smoked beef and mutton, horsemeat sausage. They avoid pork.

Culture & Art Men and women, regardless of age, are all good horse-riders. Horseracing and 'girl-chasing' are the games most popular among young people. There are also activities like goat-tussling, wrestling on horseback, and playing musical instruments. The dombra (a musical instrument) and falcons are the lifelong companions of the Kazak people.
Festivals The Kazak people believe in Islam. Besides the Islamic Lesser and Greater Bairams, they have their unique holiday, Nauruz, which is equivalent to the Spring Festival of the Han people. On March 22 every year, every family makes 'Nauruz rice' which signifies the departure of the old year and the welcoming in of the new, when people wish each other a good harvest for the year to come.
The Mongolian People
The Mongolian People number around 160,000 in Xinjiang. They make a living in animal husbandry. Most of them live in the Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, the Bortala Mongolian Autonomous Country. Some are the descendants of the ancient Junggar tribes. The rest migrated from the Volga River regions and Inner Mongolian. Garments The men wear red, green and black robes tied with a colored satin sash around the waist, and a knife in a sheath hanging from it. Some even like to carry a saddle­bag across their shoulders. The men wear hats and tie a scarf around their heads with blue or red scarves. Both men and women wear leather riding boots or felt boots which look natural, unrestrained and heroic. Food They mostly eat dairy produce, such as cheese, dried milk curds, yogurt, cream, beef, mutton and pastry. They like to drink fermented milk.
Culture & Art The Mongolians are good at singing and dancing. Their unique musical instrument, the matoqin, a four-stringed instrument, is very famous.
Festivals The main holiday is the Spring Festival. The largest activity is the Nadam Fair held in July or August every year. The fair has not only activities such as horse-racing, shooting and wrestling, but is also an annual commodity exchange fair.
The Hui People
The full name of the Hui people is the Hui Hui people. There are around 850,000 Hui people in Xinjiang who mainly live in the Changji Autonomous Prefecture and the Ynqi Hui Autonomous Country, and the cities of Urumqi, Yining and Turpan.
Garments The Hui people scattered in the cities and towns mainly wear clothing similar to the Han people. Only people in the countryside where the Hui people gather still wear traditional garments. The Hui men wear small white caps, white shirts and black vests. The women like to wear brightly-colored clothes and have the habit of adorning themselves with necklaces, earrings, rings and hair clips.
Food The Hui people mostly eat cooked wheaten food, mainly including daobazi (steamed bun), nang, fried dough cake, bean jelly, mutton paomo. Distinctive Muslim snacks such as grilled mutton kebabs on skewers are most popular. The Hui people avoid pigs, dogs, horses, ferocious beasts and animals that die without being butchered.

Habits & customs The Hui people care about cleanliness and value the comfort of a family environment. They like to plant flowers and grass in the courtyard and put up paper-cuts, calligraphy and paintings on their windows.
Festivals The Hui people in Xinjiang believe in Islam. They regard the Lesser Bairam as an important holiday and the Greater Bairams as a small holiday. They also especially value the birthday of Mahomet, which is called 'Saint Commemoration Day'.
The Xibe People
The Xibe people number around 41,000. Most of them live in the Qapqal Autonomous Country on the south of Hi River and Huocheng and Gongliu counties nearby. Their ancestors are the Xibe soldiers transferred by the Qing court in the 29th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign. These soldiers and their family members, totaling 4,000 people, originally lived in northeast China and came down in Hi on garrison duty.
Garments The men like to wear short shirts with buttons down the front. The women mostly wear robes, dresses and sweaters. Food The Xibe people's food is combined with the Manchu and Han tradition and the Western Region's features. They not only eat rice and noodles, but also drink buttered tea. However they avoid dog meat. Culture & Art The Xibe people have a relatively high level of culture. Some intellectuals are proficient in several languages and are engaged in education, translation and publishing. They are also good at horseracing and wrestling. Archery is their specialty. Some masters represent China in all kinds of archery competitions around the world.
Festivals The West-migrating Day (the eighteenth day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar every year), is the most ceremonious holiday. All the people are dressed in their holiday best and get together to celebrate with dancing and merrymaking.

The Kyrgyz People
The population of the Kyrgyz people in Xinjiang is around 170,000 and they are mainly concentrated in the Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture, with a small number scattered in Wushi and Aksu. Garments The men like round-necked embroidered white shirts with a collarless long chapan, tight belts and high boots. The women favor red dresses, and red and green headscarves. There are decorative patterns embroidered bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings and silver dollar brooches.
Food The Kyrgyz people mostly eat rice, dairy produce, pastry, beef, mutton and camel meat. Milk tea is a drink all year around. Culture & Art The Kyrgyz people invented written language in 200AD and a large number of poems, fables, proverbs and legends have been handed down. The well-known epic poem Manass generalizes the cultural history of the Kyrgyz people and has great research value. Festivals The Kyrgyz people believe in Islam. Besides observing general religious holidays, they especially observe the holidays of Nuofenzi and Shenximan. The former is similar to the Spring Festival of the Han people. The latter is celebrated at the autumn harvest. During the holidays, men and hold recreational activities like goat tussling, horseracing, wrestling and archery.
The Tajik People
The Tajik people number around 40,000 and they mostly live in the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous Country. The rest are distributed in Shache, Zepu and Yesheng. Garments The men wear collarless long overcoats with buttons down the front. When it is cold, they add sheepskin coast and wear cylindrical sheepskins high hats. The women wear dresses. Their long sheepskins riding boots are especially suitable for mountain-climbing. Food The Tajik people are fond of dairy produce such as yoghurt, butter, fresh and dried milk curd. Meat is regarded as their main food. They often drink milky tea. Culture & Art The Tajik people respect eagles. The main dance is one simulating the soaring eagle's flight. The short flute accompanying the dance is made of the bone of an eagle, called the nayi whose melodic effect is beautiful. Festivals They believe in Islam. Besides the set religious holidays, the unique holidays are the Spring Festivals, Qutuoqidier, characterized by cleaning the house and courtyard and scattering flour to bring good luck for the year ahead. On each family's roof a torch is lit. There are also Barout, the Seeding Festivals and the Water-diversion Festival.
The Uzbek People
The Uzbek people number around 14,000 and are scattered in many areas on both sides of the Tien-Shan Mountains. Some of them are engaged in agriculture. The religious beliefs, customs and habits, food, dress and lifestyle are basically the same as the Uygur People's. There is a tradition of intermarriage between the Uygur people and the Tajik people.
Garments Men and women all wear embroidered skull-caps and leather boots. They like to embroider beautiful and dignified design on the edges of collars, fronts, sleeves and the lower hems of dresses. Food The most flavored food is narren, which is minced meat cooked with piyazi, pepper, buttermilk and broth. It is the most valued food and is eaten only on important holidays or entertainments.
Festivals The major holidays are the Lesser and Greater Bairams of Islam.
The Manchu People
The Manchu people in Xinjiang number over 23,500 and are scattered in Urunqi and Hi. They are the descendants of the Eight Banner soldiers who were transferred by the Qing court from the northeast to the Western Region to open up wasteland and defend border. Now most of them are engaged in agriculture.
Due to the long-term contact between the two groups, the Manchu people have similar habits and customs, dress, food and lifestyle to the Han people, except that they eat dog meat and wear dog skin hats and Manchu dresses in holidays.
The Russian People
The Russian people, numbering around 11,200, migrated from the Czar's Russia in succession after the 18th century. Now they are scattered Hi, Tacheng and Altay. They believe in the Orthodox Eastern Church. Garments Most of the old men wear riding breeches, leather boots and uniforms. The women like to wear dresses. The young wear the same clothes as the Han people. Food Besides Russian features, their food is also combined with the flavor of other ethnic groups. The Russian people mainly eat bread, fresh vegetables and also like to eat noodles, steamed stuffed buns and pilaf.
Culture & Art The Russian people are good at dancing. Common dances are the women's Kerchief Dance and men's Carriage Driving Dance. The young like to dance the Step Dance.
Festivals They mostly observe western holidays and highly value Christmas and Easter.
The Daur People
The Daur population in Xingjiang is very small, numbering around 6,700 people. They mostly live in the regions of Hi and Tacheng. They are generally regarded as the descendants of the Khitan people in the Liao Dynasty, who immigrated from Northeast China. The Daur people were also transferred to the Western Region in the Qing Dynasty and settled down here. The Daur Dynasty and settled down here. The Daur people originally spoke Mongolian. Having been neighbors with the Kazak people for a long time, everyone speaks Kazak. Most children attend Chinese language schools, so they are also called 'born' translators.
Food They mostly eat noodles, meat and dairy produce. Pilaf mutton is their best food. It is considered respectful to invite guests to eat gigot meat. Festivals Basically the same as the Han people's.

The Tartar People
The Tartar people, who mostly live in Yining, Tacheng, Urumqi, number around 5,000. The name Tartar originated from the Tatar tribes who were under the rule of the nomadic Turk Kingdom in the north during the Tang Dynasty. The Tartar people mostly speak the Uygur and Kazak languages and believe in Islam. Culture & Art The Tartar people have a good traditional cultural education; there are relatively more intellectuals among them and the cultural life is colorful. Bold and unconstrained prairie sentiment characterizes the ethnic music. Habits & customs The Tartar people like cleanliness. Their houses are orderly and tidy. All kinds of trees are planted in the neighborhood. The environment is quiet, and the dining hall and kitchen are often cleaned spotless.
Festivals The Tartar people believe in Islam. Besides the Lesser and Greater Bairams, they also hold the Colter Festival in spring.