page_title: Monguor people
section_title: Ethnic origins
hierarchical_section_title: Monguor people / Ethnic origins
caption_attribution_description: English: Tu (mongol minority from Qinghai) costumes at Ma Bufang Mansion, in Xining, Qinghai.Français&#160;: Costumes de la minorité mongole du Qinghai Tu, au musée situé dans la Résidence de Ma Bufang à Xining, Qinghai.
context_page_description: The Monguor, the Tu people, the White Mongol or the Tsagaan Mongol, are 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.
context_section_description: The ethnic history of the Monguor is contested. It has been variously suggested that their origins are related to the Tuyuhun Xianbei, to Mongol troops who came to the current Qinghai-Gansu area during the time of the Mongol conquests, to the Shatuo and/or to the Han Chinese.
caption: Tu's costumes
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