The Big Picture: Wedding, Tajik-style Part II

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The Tajik people, who live in the mountainous areas in northwestern China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, are commonly referred to as the "descendants of the Goddess of the Sun."

The grand traditional Tajik marriage celebrations reflect the ethnic group's distinctive features, and represent a unique wedding culture in China.

The Pamir Mountains in Tashkurgan County, Xinjiang. /‍CGTN Photo

The traditional Tajik wedding lasts for seven days. The first day can be considered the "prologue" to the wedding ceremony. That day, both the bride and groom stay in bed in their parents' homes.

The bride covers her face with a veil during the first three days of the wedding until the imam or the chief witness at the ceremony opens her veil in public.

Bride Zibaguli Dake and groom Xiadibike Amirjiang waiting for the wedding. Staying in bed is part of the tradition to let both bride and groom rest before the big day. /CGTN Photo

A wedding is a holiday for the whole village. Guests sing and dance to celebrate the happy occasion, and the families feed the guests stewed mutton, beef and other delicious foods.

Eagle is the symbol of the Tajiks. A popular folk dance represents the flight of an eagle. It is accompanied by music from a hand drum and eagle flute, called a “Nayi”, made of eagle wing bones. /CGTN Photo

Their parents, meanwhile, keep busy entertaining the guests, most of whom offer the families various presents, such as crusty pancakes (staple food of the Tajiks), clothes, jewelry and sheep.

The bride’s relatives help to cook for the guests. Cooking areas are usually in the far corner of the house. /CGTN Photo

All relatives and friends are invited to the wedding ceremony.

The bride’s friends arrive to celebrate the wedding. /CGTN Photo

Kissing is an everyday occurrence for the Tajik people.

When they kiss each other, Tajiks follow established rules: Males and females of different seniority in the family kiss each other on different parts of the body.

For example, when a middle-aged man meets an elderly person, they kiss the back of each other’s hands. If the women are from the same generation, they kiss each other’s forehead or lips.

When they kiss each other, Tajiks follow established rules. /CGTN Photo

“The modern way is to use a car to fetch the bride. But he wants the traditional way, on horseback. We had differences on the wedding arrangements. I finally agreed to let him take me home by horse,” said Zibaguli Dake, the bride.

“Tajiks are born on horseback,“ said groom Xiadibike Armirjiang.

Tajiks of Xinjiang in China

Tajiks are a Persian-speaking ethnic Muslim group living in northwestern China around the snow-capped Pamirs, a mountain range at the Chinese border shared with Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Chinese refer to the Pamirs as the "roof of the world.” Tajik ethnic people mainly live a half-nomadic, half-settled life.

What will Zibaguli and Xiadibike’s wedding be like? Please look out for: Wedding, Tajik-style, Part III.

And if you missed Part I, you can watch it here: The Big Picture: Wedding, Tajik-style Part I

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