Uzbek

族About this people

The Uzbek people of China are a small community descended from traders, craftsmen, and migrants who settled in the oasis towns of Xinjiang along the Silk Road. They are closely related culturally and linguistically to Uyghurs, and most Uzbeks in China live in Yining (Ghulja), Kashgar, Shache (Yarkand), and Urumqi, often as urban merchants and artisans.

The Uzbek language belongs to the same Karluk branch of Turkic as Uyghur, and the two languages are mutually intelligible in many varieties. Classical Uzbek literature produced Babur's Baburnama and the works of Navoi, and this literary heritage is shared with Central Asian Uzbeks. Religious observance follows Hanafi Sunni Islam, including mosque attendance on Fridays and observance of Ramadan.

Traditional Uzbek crafts in China include suzani embroidery (silk thread on cotton ground cloth in floral and medallion designs), pottery, and wood carving. Silk weaving and gold embroidery on garments were historically prestigious skills. Cuisine features plov (rice pilaf — known as polo in Uyghur), samsa pastries, and lagman noodles, dishes shared across the oasis cultures of Central Asia. Because the Uzbek community in China is small and concentrated in urban areas, their culture overlaps considerably with Uyghur urban practice, though distinct family traditions, craft patterns, and community networks are maintained.