Тувинцы Китая в XXI веке: вехи истории и современное состояние

Zhanna M. Yusha

doi:10.25178/nit.2017.1.7

Authors

Zhanna M. Yusha Institute of Philology, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2017.1.7

Keywords:

Tuvans in China; China; sub-ethnic group; Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; ethnic structure; ethnocultural tourism; self-identification

Abstract

The article analyzes the contemporary situation in culture, economic practices, lifestyle and everyday lives of all disperse groups (in the mountain-taiga and taiga-steppe zones) of Tuvans living in China. We deal with the issues of residential area, self-identification, ethnic structure and the preservation of religious identities within these groups. Chinese Tuvans are a minority ethnic group living in Altay aimak, Ili Kazakh prefecture, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in the south of the Altai mountains (the Chinese Altai). They reside in three clusters, located in the villages of Ak Khaba – Khanas – Khom (majority) and the villages of Ala Khaak, Tamyky and the county seat Koktoqay. Tuvans also live in the towns of Kaba, Burqin, Altay and Beitun, side by side with Kazakhs, Mongols, the Dungan and the Chinese.

Tuvans see the Chinese Altai as their homeland, while the self-appellation can vary: Kok-monchak, Monchak, Aldai dyvazy, the Dyva. Their passport ethnicity is Mongol, which is also what they are called in China (as well as Kok-monchak or Monchak). According to their own estimation, there are about 2500 Chinese Tuvans, or over 6000, if we add a tribal group known as Oortsag (Tandy) who identify as Mongols. Ethnically Chinese Tuvans can be subdivided into a number of tribal groups. We have been able to identify 11 such entities (sөөk) which could be further split into a multitude of salaa or grouped together in one big entity.

According to the prevalent economic strategy, Chinese Tuvan groups fall into two categories: the mountain-taiga group (Ak Khaba, Khanas, Khom - cattle breeding) and the taiga-steppe group (Ala Khaak, Koktoqay and Tamyky – cattle breeding and kitchen gardens). Both groups do plant gathering, picking up berries and pine nuts, while hunting is becoming a thing of the past due to a ban on firearms. Their religious rites present a syncretic mix of traditional pre-Shamanic, Shamanic and Buddhist beliefs.

Khanas, Khom and Ak Khaba have recently become popular centers of summer tourism. Tourism, especially of the ethnocultural type, has helped Chinese Tuvans preserve their ethnic identity and traditional culture. Still, commercialization is often viewed as a threat to traditional ethics.

Among greatest fears of Chinese Tuvans there is a prospect of losing ethnic culture and their mother tongue due to population extinction, the influence of foreign-language culture, assimilation, mainly oral use of native language, and other factors. Local activists campaign for Chinese Tuvans to be included onto the list of ethnic groups of China as the country’s 57^th recognized ethnicity.

This article is based on the author’s field observations during the 2010-2016 expeditions to the areas populated by Chinese Tuvans.

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