Kirghiz (also Kyrgyz) are a Turkic ethnic group found primarily in Kyrgyzstan.

It is considered that there are 40 Kirghiz tribes. This is symbolized by the yellow sun in the center of the flag of Kyrgyzstan, which has 40 rays.

The Kirghiz in China

The Kirghiz form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. There are 143,500 Kirghiz in China.

They are found mainly in the Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture in the southwestern part of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with a smaller remainder found in the neighboring Wushi (Uqturpan ), Aksu, Shache (Yarkant ), Yingisar , Taxkorgan and Pishan (Guma ), and in Tekes , Zhaosu (Monggolkure ), Emin (Dorbiljin ), Bole (Bortala ), Jinghev (Jing) and Gonliu in northern Xinjiang.

Several hundred Kirgiz whose forefathers emigrated to Northeast China more than 200 years ago now live in Wujiazi Village in Fuyu County, Heilongjiang Province.

Due to strong Chinese influence, the Kirghiz in China have adopted many words from Chinese and also have adopted both the Roman and the Russian script, though a few still retain the Arabic alphabet.

The Kirghiz are mainly Muslims by religion, which was adopted by the Kirghiz in China during the 17th and 18th centuries. The Kirghiz in Emin (Dorbiljin) County in Xinjiang and Fuyu County in Heilongjiang followed Lamaism, but most of the Kirghiz do conduct sacrifical ceromonies for the Animist Snake god.

See also

• Kyrgyz language