Chinese Bonan People

The Bonan people are an ethnic group living in Gansu and Qinghai provinces in northwestern China. Numbering approximately 17,000 they are the 7th smallest of the officially recognized by the People's Republic of China.

The Bonan speak the Bonan language, a , and are predominantly . The Bonan of Qinghai speak a slightly different dialect that those of Gansu. Whereas the Bonan language of Gansu has undergone influences, the Bonan language of Qinghai has been influenced by . They are believed to be descended from Muslim Mongol soldiers stationed in Qinghai during the or dynasties and to have settled in Gansu during the reign of the .

Culture

The Bonan share many traditions with the Dongxiang and Hui. Their traditional dress includes elements of Tibetan, Hui and Dongxiang clothing. Married Bonan women wear black veils, while unmarried women wear green veils. Bonan men typically wear black or white head coverings and white jackets.

Bonan knives are renowned for their beauty and hardness and their manufacture and sale form an important part of the local economy, along with farming and ranching.

Religion

The small group of Bonan that lives in the province of Qinghai are mainly Tibetan Buddhists whereas the rest are followers of Islam.