Monguor people

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Monguor/Tu/Mongghul

A Monguor woman in Huzhu County, Xining, Qinghai Province
Total population
289,565 (2010 census)
Regions with significant populations
China: Qinghai and Gansu
Languages
Monguor and Wutun
Religion
Predominantly Yellow Sect (or Tibetan) Buddhism, Taoism, and Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Mongolic peoples

The Monguor (Monguor language: Mongghul), the Tu people (Chinese: 土族), the White Mongol or the Tsagaan Mongol, are Mongolic people and one of the 56 officially recognized ethnic groups in China. The "Tu" ethnic category was created in the 1950s.

According to the 2000 census, the total population was 241,198, who mostly lived in the Qinghai and the Gansu provinces. The 2010 census gave their number as 289,565. The Monguor people speak the Monguor language, which belongs to the family of Mongolic languages but has been heavily influenced by both the local Chinese and Tibetan dialects. Today, nearly all Tu people also speak Chinese. Most are farmers and some keep livestock.

Their culture and the social organizations have been influenced by Tibetan Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and local beliefs. A few Tu in Huzhu and Minhe are Christian, the result of on-going American and Korean missionary work in the area.