Overview
Chinese Name: 锡伯族
English Name: The Sibe people, The Xibo(Xibe) people
Languages: Sibe language 锡伯语, Chinese 汉语
Total population: 1.90*105 (China mainland 2022)
Distribution: Liaoning, Xinjiang, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Inner Mongolia
Brief introduction
The Sibe people 锡伯族 are an ancient ethnic group with a long history among the ethnic minorities in China. Today, most Xibo people live in Liaoning Province 辽宁省 and Qapqal Xibo Autonomous County 察布查尔锡伯自治县 in Xinjiang.
The Xibo people in Xinjiang have maintained their own language and writing, and use Chinese as well. The Xibo people in the northeast are the same as the Han people 汉族 in terms of language, clothing, food, and residence.
The history of the Sibe people
The Xibo people originated from the Tuoba 拓拔 Xianbei 鲜卑 tribe of the Eastern Hu system 东胡体系 and were initially been active in the Greater Khingan 大兴安岭. They migrated southward from the Greater Khingan Range around the Han Dynasty 汉朝, and by the end of the Ming dynasty 明朝 and early Qing dynasty 清朝, they had been distributed in the areas suitable for farming in the tributaries of the middle reaches of the Nen River 嫩江 and engaged in agricultural production. During the Qing Dynasty, the Xibo people moved to Ili 伊犁, Xinjiang, forming the current distribution situation of the Xibo people.
The religion of the Sibe people
In the past, the religious beliefs of the Xibe people were mixed, and they once had natural worship of the sky, the earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars. Unlike other ethnic minorities, the Xibe people have no fixed religious beliefs, and the degree of belief varies.
The Cultures of the Sibe people
The diet of the Sibe people 锡伯族饮食
The eating habits of the Xibo people are unique, and there are some differences due to the variation of their living areas. Xibo men generally have the habit of smoking and drinking. Meanwhile, the Xibe people also like games and go out to hunt and fish whenever the winter snow melts.
Most of the Xibe people are accustomed to eating three meals a day, and the staple food is mainly rice and noodles. Meat sources mainly rely on family feeding, mostly cattle, sheep, and pork. When eating meat, it is customary for each person to carry a knife with them. After the meat is cooked, put it into a large plate, cut it with a knife, and then dip it in the seasoning made of salt, onion and garlic.
The costumes of the Sibe people 锡伯族服饰
The early clothing materials of the Xibo people were mainly animal skins such as deer and pigs, and they paid more attention to the function of preventing cold and keeping warm. The Sibe men like to wear blue, green, grey, and brown robes, with a green jacket on the outside. A round hat, a blue cloth belt around the waist. In order to facilitate riding, men’s robes and jackets are split left and right.
Xibo women have many styles of clothing. They like to wear colourful floral cloth and gingham cheongsam. Lace or embroidered wide hem should be glued on the robe with a large collar, and like to wear a waistcoat. After the 1911 Revolution 辛亥革命, the changes in Xibo costumes were greatly influenced by Han, Uyghur 维吾尔 and other ethnic groups. Young women prefer brightly coloured dresses, young men prefer sportswear, jackets, leather shoes, etc. Only the older generation occasionally wears national costumes.
The festivals of the Sibe people 锡伯族节日
Every year on the 18th day of the fourth lunar month is the Westward Migration Festival of the Xibe people. The Westward Migration Festival originated from the westward migration of Xibo people to Ili, Xinjiang. During the Westward Migration Festival, the men, women and children of the Xibo people all wear costumes and gather together happily.
The sixteenth day of the first month of the lunar calendar is the smear festival of the Xibe people. On this day, people get up early in the morning, bring the smearing cloth or felt that they prepared last night, and go to the streets to smear each other’s faces. On this day, men, women and children can smear each other’s faces. But when you see the old man, you must first say goodbye, and then you can smear your face, but only a little less to show respect. It is said that people smear their faces on this day to pray for a good harvest.
The rituals of the Sibe people 锡伯族礼仪
The Xibe people have the traditional virtues of paying attention to etiquette, respecting the old and caring for the young, being hospitable, and advocating cleanliness. In daily life, those who are not filial to their children and do not support their elders will be condemned by society. In addition, teachers are particularly respected in society. In daily life, the Xibo people will kneel and kowtow to their elders at major festivals, and this tradition has been passed down to this day.