Kazakh

族About this people

The Kazakh people of China are closely related to the Kazakhs of Kazakhstan and descend from the Kipchak-speaking nomadic confederations that ranged across the Eurasian steppe. Within China, most Kazakhs live in the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of northern Xinjiang, with smaller communities in the Altay region and Barkol. Seasonal transhumance — moving livestock between lowland winter pastures and high mountain summer pastures — shapes the annual rhythm of many Kazakh families, though permanent settlement has become more common.

The Kazakh language belongs to the Kipchak branch of the Turkic family. Traditional crafts centre on materials from pastoral life: felt is pressed into colourful rugs (shyrdak) and wall hangings, leather is worked into saddle bags and drinking vessels, and the yurt (kiiz uy) is decorated with woven textiles in geometric patterns. Music plays a central role: the dombra (two-stringed lute) and kobyz (bowed instrument) accompany epic oral poetry recited by akyns (poet-singers) who improvise verse in competitions called aitys.

Kazakh cuisine reflects a pastoral diet: beshbarmak (boiled horse or mutton served over flat noodles), qazy (horse-meat sausage), kurt (dried yoghurt balls), and fermented mare's milk (qymyz) are signature dishes. Hospitality is a defining cultural value; guests are traditionally offered the choicest cuts at a communal meal. The Ili Valley's grasslands and the Altai Mountains are focal points for visitors wishing to experience Kazakh nomadic culture through autumn horse festivals and yurt homestays.