Tatar's Costume
( 2005-09-13 )

TheTatar ethnic minority, with a population of over 4,800, consists of people who immigrated to Northwest China'sXinjiangUygur Autonomous Region from places in Russia like Kashan, Xiemilieqi, and Zaisang in the 19th century. They have their own language, while using the Uygur written scripts, and believe in Islam. Most of the people live in major cities in Xinjiang like Ili, Tacheng, and Urumqi.

Tatar men often wear an embroidered white shirt with a black short waistcoat or a black gown, black trousers, and a cap with black and white embroidered patterns. Young men prefer a peaked cap. In winter, Tatar men wear a black hat made of curly fur and long leather boots; herdsmen usually wear a kind of self-made leather shoes.

The women like white, yellow, and purple dresses inlaid with pleated edges. They wear colored caps decorated with beads, and large veils over the caps. They adorn themselves with all sorts of ornaments such as earrings, necklaces of red beads, finger rings, and brooches, and so on.