Brief Introduction to Qiang People

The Qiang area is home to the Giant Panda and the fabled Yeti, or "Big Foot." These people are excellent masons and skilled architects who build castles, suspension bridges, dams and sinking wells. Their homes are block made from different size stones and built like fortresses.

The Qiang people call themselves Erma. According to historical records, they are descended from the ancient Qiang people who lived about 3000 years ago.

Formerly a nomadic people, now most Qiang farm and engage in animal husbandry. Previously, they practiced slash and burn farming. Their diet consists of millet, barley, potatoes, winter wheat and buckwheat and wine is used as a beverage. They also smoke orchid leaves. Women embroider, and all sing and dance to the accompaniment of gongs, tambourines, sonas and bamboos. They have no written script. They are a monogamous people with wives usually being older than their husbands. Cousins often marry and frequently bridegrooms will live with their wife's family. According to government sources, life for them has much improved following Liberation.

Agriculture is the mainstay of the nationality. The chief farm products include corns, wheat, highland barley, and a variety of beans. The white beans called Snow Mountain beans are the local specialty. The Qiang people also raise sheep. The Tong sheep they raise are of good breed. The mountain area where the Qiang people live has rare animals, such as panda, flying fox, and golden monkey. Valuable Chinese traditional medicine produced here are caterpillar fungus, the bulb of fritillary, pilose antler, musk, and gall bladders of bears.

Some have postulated that the Qiang are related to the Jewish people.