Weekend Long Read: China’s Disappearing Nomads

1. The Xini River Buryats, numbering over 8,000, inhabit China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, specifically in the Ewenki autonomous banner. These Buryats—a branch of the ancient Mongol nomads—are renowned for maintaining their distinctive language, clothing, and customs even as modern influences steadily permeate the region. Their livelihoods, rooted in animal husbandry, continue a heritage passed down through generations, with their identity and way of life deeply entwined with the expansive grasslands they inhabit. [para. 1]

2. The landscape is characterized by vast grasslands, forests, and rivers. The Buryat community is divided into villages known as “gachas,” with those in Xini River West Sumu settled on open plains and those in East Sumu at the hilly meeting point of the Hulunbuir grasslands and the Greater Khingan Mountains. The allocation of grazing land to individual households often results in families with pastures spread across several locations. For example, the Su family, whom the author followed closely from 2014 onward, is not wealthy; the parents herd livestock for others, moving their mobile iron house across the plains. Their daily lives, as seen in the playful morning routines of Su Sier and Su Meng, reflect both hardship and the preservation of tradition. [para. 2][para. 3][para. 4][para. 5][para. 6][para. 7]

3. Families such as brothers Dandeer and Darima in West Sumu maintain multi-generational households, upholding customs—such as being photographed in traditional Buryat attire—and tending livestock. A prominent symbol among the Xini River Buryats is the circular sheepfold. This open-air enclosure, preferred by their animals, allows for ventilation and warmth as needed. While the materials for sheepfolds have modernized, the fundamental design endures, signifying continuity amidst change. Conversely, their broader nomadic traditions—such as yurts and “zhagang” huts—are being replaced by modern iron houses and brick dwellings, marking a transition toward a settled lifestyle. [para. 8][para. 9][para. 10][para. 11][para. 12]

4. Tractors are another defining symbol for the Buryats, embodying the modernization of their pastoral practices. The tough winters necessitate mechanized solutions for fodder storage, snow removal, and other tasks. As of 2022, Weitehen gacha had 336 tractors—over four per household. These machines can be seen everywhere, with some residents, like Siren Daoerji, becoming local legends for their expertise in tractor repair. Another, Wu Suronggui, attributes his marriage to the ownership of a tractor, exemplifying its social prestige. Wu’s efforts to meet the training eligibility by adding bricks to his sheepskin coat underlines the tractor’s importance in local culture. [para. 13][para. 14][para. 15][para. 16][para. 17][para. 18][para. 19][para. 20][para. 21]

5. The traditional zhagang—a rectangular hut of woven branches and mud—served as the summer dwelling for generations. However, by 2017 these had disappeared, replaced by brick houses. The author recounts visiting families like Amu Guleng’s, highlighting how Buryats navigated the challenges of childbirth, drought, and dust storms while maintaining customs like naming children after their benefactors. The decline of these traditional dwellings, hastened by environmental hardship, is depicted in evocative scenes of grass turning yellow and dust storms overwhelming conversations. [para. 22][para. 23][para. 24][para. 25][para. 26][para. 27][para. 28][para. 29][para. 30][para. 31][para. 32]

6. Modernization and environmental pressures have accelerated migration to urban areas. With the return of rain in 2018, some prosperity returned; for example, a neighbor’s orphaned foal won a local race. However, ill health and other misfortunes soon led families like Amu Guleng’s to move to town. By 2021, Amu worked construction to support his family while his son received bilingual education. Observations in late 2025 reveal a landscape where modern vehicles stand alongside traditional yurts, and a sense of nostalgia pervades as rural youth migrate to cities. The Buryat grasslands are emptier, with only a few elders or hired hands remaining, reflecting the profound transformation underway. [para. 33][para. 34][para. 35][para. 36][para. 37][para. 38][para. 39][para. 40][para. 41][para. 42][para. 43][para. 44][para. 45]