For centuries, the Chinese Kazakh horseman preserved their ancient traditions, refusing to be dominated by either the Chinese or nearby Russian cultures. Today, however, this nomadic tribe has integrated communism into its way of life. NOVA traces the ancient Kazahk lifestyle and looks at how the Chinese cultural Revolution has modernized Kazakh customs.
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00:00On the frontiers of Northwest China, horsemen called Kazakhs still ride the remote hills
00:18between Tibet and Mongolia.
00:22Horses are essential to the Kazakh's way of life and are valued for their beauty, strength
00:27and above all as a measure of wealth.
00:31The Kazakhs are nomads and followers of the Islamic faith, bound together by a common
00:36ancestry and strong family ties.
00:43But life is changing.
00:44Many Kazakhs are members of the Chinese Communist Party and their children are taught the lessons
00:49of socialist history.
00:53In the complex society of China today, the Kazakhs struggle to maintain their cultural
00:58identity.
00:59They are the horsemen of China.
01:02Next on NOVA.
01:13Major funding for NOVA is provided by this station and other public television stations
01:17nationwide.
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02:05The Tien Shan Mountains form a natural barrier between the People's Republic of China and
02:20the Soviet Union.
02:25Tribes of nomadic horsemen called Kazakhs claim this vast territory as their ancestral
02:30homeland.
02:35For centuries, the Kazakhs moved freely throughout these hills, crossing back and forth between
02:39the Chinese and Soviet nations.
02:43But when territorial disputes heated up in the 1950s, a military zone was established
02:48and this ancient tribal people found themselves split along opposite sides of the border.
02:57Close to one million Kazakhs live in a remote region of China near the town of Urumqi.
03:04More than six million Kazakhs, however, live within the borders of the Soviet Union.
03:11Both countries have sought to win the loyalty of the Kazakhs because they occupy these strategic
03:16border areas.
03:19But the Kazakhs fiercely defend their traditional way of life and hold on to a strong bond with
03:24their past.
03:28The name Kazakh means fugitive or adventurer.
03:32Only a few anthropologists have studied the Kazakhs, and these rare photographs taken
03:37at the turn of the century show that they lived then much as they do today.
03:45Although they claim kinship to the great Mongolian warlord Genghis Khan, Kazakhs are descendants
03:51of Turkish people from the time when Turkish nomads stretched across this region of Asia.
04:00Kazakhs are often confused with Cossacks, the famous military units of the Russian Empire
04:05during the 17th and 18th centuries.
04:08The Cossacks were frontline soldiers who saw tribes like the Cossacks as their enemies.
04:19The foothills of the Tianshan Mountains contain some of the richest pasture land in China,
04:25and the Kazakhs have herded their cattle, sheep, and horses to these same winter grazing
04:29sites for hundreds of years.
04:35The Kazakhs are one of 50 minority groups that make up about 6% of China's population.
04:42Most Chinese belong to the main ethnic group, Han.
04:47In 1949, when the Communist Party came into power, they forced the minorities to accept
04:53the new political and economic structures of communism.
04:57The Kazakhs were organized into communes and worked for the state.
05:01But because they are isolated, the Kazakhs have retained their traditional way of life
05:05much longer than other minorities.
05:09Although few Westerners have ventured this far to study Kazakh society, the Chinese government
05:14did give permission for a British television crew to film the Kazakhs.
05:20The crew chose to follow Abdul Kahir, a respected elder and leader of his family group.
05:30The day the crew arrived, Abdul Kahir and his entire family were shearing their sheep.
05:36This was in preparation for the move they were planning to make the next day, from their
05:39winter to their summer pasture.
05:46These brightly colored dresses are not the kind of clothes usually worn while doing heavy
05:51chores, but the young women were excited at the prospect of being filmed and used the
05:56opportunity to show off their finery.
06:01Traditionally, only the men would be responsible for the shearing, but nowadays all members
06:08of the family participate.
06:18The women use the wool to make clothes and wall coverings to decorate their homes.
06:23All of the women in this family group are skilled at making felts.
06:27First the wool is flattened, then dyed and cut into shapes that are lavishly embroidered
06:32or appliqued onto one another.
06:38Each woman develops her own set of patterns based on floral and animal motifs passed down
06:43to her from other generations.
06:48The Kazakhs depend on the milk of their animals for much of their food.
06:52They almost never eat vegetables or fruit.
06:55Yogurt however is a staple item in their diet.
06:58A dried yogurt called kurut is made by heating milk until it boils.
07:04After a culture is added, the mixture is dried in the sun and solidifies into cakes
07:08that never spoil and can be easily transported.
07:16The family is the center of Kazakh life.
07:19Abdul Kahir and his extended family, including his married sons and their wives, share meals
07:25together.
07:26Usually a simple meal of bread and tea spread on the floor of his wooden home.
07:31It is here that he discusses the move they are to make the next day.
08:01When the Communist Party took power in 1949, there was much debate about the role of the
08:12minorities in the new society.
08:15By 1958, radical policies of the movement known as the Great Leap Forward took hold.
08:21The Kazakhs were forced to collectivize and to give up individual ownership of their herds.
08:28During the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1977, all forms of cultural identity were
08:34suppressed and the Kazakhs were forbidden to practice their religion.
08:41But since the late 1970s, Chinese policy towards the Kazakhs has been more lenient.
08:46They have been allowed to practice their Islamic religion and to continue their nomadic way
08:50of life.
08:52The first reason is the lack of food, the second is the lack of water, the third is the lack
09:00of water, the fourth is the lack of water.
09:04We don't go out to buy food.
09:06We go out to buy food, but we don't go out to buy food.
09:10We don't go out to buy food.
09:13We don't go out to buy food.
09:16We don't go out to buy food.
09:19We don't go out to buy food.
09:22We don't go out to buy food.
09:25We don't go out to buy food.
09:28We don't go out to buy food.
09:31We don't go out to buy food.
09:34We don't go out to buy food.
09:37Abdul Kahir and his family make only two migrations a year because pastureland is plentiful in
09:42this region.
09:44Pasture quarters usually belong to one family of several generations living together in
09:49log cabins or tents.
09:51The day that Abdul Kahir and his family were to leave their winter camp also marked the
09:56anniversary of his wife's death.
09:58The sound of wailing could be heard from inside the house.
10:02Among Muslim societies in Central Asia, it is customary to mourn the passing of a family
10:15member one year after their death.
10:18Prayer is an essential part of the ritual, and Abdul Kahir recites a passage from the
10:23Quran.
10:38Although the Kazakhs have their own language, religious chants are spoken in Arabic.
10:43The Kazakhs were converted to the Islamic faith around the 17th century.
10:48Religion is a fundamental part of their culture.
11:08Abdul Kahir finishes his prayer and hurries the women back to their work.
11:14The women take charge of packing the household belongings while the men ready the animals
11:20for the journey to the summer pasture.
11:26The move takes days of preparation, but the actual packing can be done within hours.
11:32Each of the felt-covered tents, called yurts, is disassembled piece by piece.
11:37The wooden frames support up to 15 large felt covers that provide protection against the
11:42bitter mountain cold.
11:47Personal wealth in Kazakh society is determined by the number of animals that are owned by
11:51the family, and by decorative items like clothing, jewelry, guns, and felts.
11:59Chinese policy after 1949 discouraged the accumulation of personal wealth.
12:06In traditional Kazakh life, it would have been important for families to display as
12:10much of their wealth as they could.
12:12So when they moved, the finery, like carpets or embroidered felts, was ostentatiously draped
12:17over the animals for everyone to admire.
12:20Today, Abdul Kahir hides his most valuable possessions in the middle of the bulky loads.
12:27Some Kazakhs travel over distances of up to 150 miles between their winter and summer quarters.
12:47Here in the Tien Shan Mountains, Abdul Kahir doesn't have to move as far, since his winter
12:52home is just below the pastures of the higher mountains where he spends the summer.
13:03Abdul Kahir and his family begin the trip alone, but as they travel, other families
13:08and their herds join them.
13:10The spring migration is the most hazardous, because many of the animals have been weakened
13:14by the heavy snows of the winter weather.
13:17During the journey, women from camps along the way bring gifts of sour milk.
13:48Keeping to tradition, they give the first cup to Abdul Kahir as the senior man in the party.
14:10He gives thanks to Allah before drinking.
14:13For the Kazakhs, most activities have religious significance.
14:29The older Kazakhs still wear traditional clothing, while many of the younger men have adopted
14:34the communist garb of blue jackets and caps.
14:37The clothing is easy to buy, and it's part of their desire to be seen as members of the
14:42modern Chinese culture.
14:59After several days, the caravan reaches the place where every year they erect their tents.
15:04A lush valley surrounded by evergreens at 10,000 feet, where other families have already
15:10established their camps.
15:22There are about a hundred families who share the summer grazing land with Abdul Kahir.
15:27The families are all members of a group called a production team.
15:31In the late 1950s, the Kazakhs were organized into these teams by the Chinese government.
15:37Four teams make up a brigade of about 2,000 people, and three brigades make up a commune.
15:55On his arrival, Abdul Kahir, as the senior member of the group, is offered refreshments
16:00by those who had arrived before him, while the women and younger men in his family unpack
16:05and set up his home.
16:06Tents are designed so that a stove can be placed in the center,
16:35and the smoke will exit through a hole at the top.
16:44Abdul Kahir has seven members in his immediate family, and all of them will sleep in this tent.
16:52Kazakh families have gathered together like this for hundreds of years.
16:56So even though these camps are described today in terms of production teams and brigades,
17:01they are based on traditional kinship structures.
17:06One member of the commune, Mukai, is the last person to use eagles to hunt rabbits and foxes,
17:14a skill for which the Kazakhs were once renowned.
17:18For years it was discouraged by the government because it represented a form of cultural identity
17:23and private enterprise.
17:36We have to learn to speak Kazakh, learn the language of the people,
17:41learn to be respectful to each other.
17:44We have to earn some money.
17:48We have to respect our ancestors.
17:52We have to respect each other.
17:55We have to respect our ancestors.
17:58We have to respect our ancestors.
18:03Although the Kazakhs could abandon the practice of hunting with eagles,
18:07horses remain critical to their survival.
18:12The Kazakhs call their horses their wings.
18:15Sturdy and small, these horses are valued for their speed and endurance,
18:20and because they offer mobility in the rugged mountain terrain.
18:25They have long been an object of admiration,
18:28and possession of a large herd is considered a sign of wealth and prestige.
18:37A proverb says that a Kazakh prizes only four objects.
18:41In order of importance they are his horse, his gun, his birthplace, and finally his wife.
18:48Years ago, there were a few skilled blacksmiths who traveled from clan to clan
18:53making horseshoes on fires in the camps.
18:56But more recently, horseshoes are purchased at government-run stores.
19:04First, one of the men trims the horse's hoof with a sharp adze.
19:09He pounds the shoes, making slight alterations in their shape,
19:13and then nails them into place.
19:17This horse is being shod for the first time,
19:20and it takes at least three men to hold it down.
19:24Spring is the time when mares give birth to their foals.
19:27It is also a time of celebration.
19:35A boy of five years is giving birth to a girl.
19:38They are called the mares.
19:44Another boy is giving birth to a girl,
19:47and another boy is giving birth to a girl.
19:50As part of their traditional festivities, the Kazakhs prepare a mildly alcoholic drink made from fermented mare's milk called koumiss.
20:01The men of Abdul Kahir's team get together to help catch the new foal so that the mares can be milked.
20:20It can appear as if the Kazakhs treat their animals roughly, but in fact their horses are their most prized possessions.
20:50The Kazakhs help the foals to suckle so that their mother's milk will start to flow.
21:19The horses are milked only during the spring and summer seasons when the milk is plentiful.
21:49Since the members of Abdul Kahir's team have come together to do the milking, they use the opportunity to hold a committee meeting.
22:11The committee has a secretary and four other members who are elected every four to five years by the team.
22:19The committee structure provides the most radical departure from traditional Kazakh life.
22:24Tribal elders have learned to accept that the committee, including younger men, has authority over their herds.
22:34In the past, the Kazakhs wouldn't have allowed a younger man to call the older man yoldash, meaning comrade, since it shows a lack of traditional respect towards them.
22:45Some Kazakhs say that even though the younger men are allowed to speak, the older ones pay no notice of them.
22:53Although Chinese policy has encouraged the participation of women, in fact very few become committee members.
23:23We have come together to do the milking.
23:28We have come together to do the milking.
23:34We have come together to do the milking.
23:53Once the mayor's milk has been fermented, the first tasting gives the whole team an excuse to celebrate.
24:08In Abdul Kahir's collective, the host for the festivities is their team leader, Ahmed.
24:19During the time of the Cultural Revolution, the traditional Muslim greeting, salam, meaning peace, was discouraged.
24:27It's only within recent years that the greeting has again become part of gatherings like this.
24:48Once everyone has come together, a sheep is brought in that later will be slaughtered for the feast.
25:00The oldest woman present opens the ceremony with a prayer.
25:10This is the first time I've seen such a ceremony.
25:16The first time I've seen such a ceremony.
25:22The first time I've seen such a ceremony.
25:39The women put the finishing touches on the koumiss and will distribute it to all members of the gathering, including the children.
26:09The family is all important to the Kazakhs, and they value having many children.
26:17The one-child policy in China does not apply to the minorities, so they tend to have large families.
26:25The one-child policy in China does not apply to the minorities, so they tend to have large families.
26:33Although the drink koumiss is not very strong, the Kazakhs, who are not used to any alcohol during the rest of the year, rapidly become tipsy.
26:43Although the drink koumiss is not very strong, the Kazakhs, who are not used to any alcohol during the rest of the year, rapidly become tipsy.
26:53The Kazakhs, who are not used to any alcohol during the rest of the year, rapidly become tipsy.
27:01The Kazakhs' cultural heritage and the old way of life are expressed through folklore and music.
27:11The Kazakhs' cultural heritage and the old way of life are expressed through folklore and music.
27:21The Kazakhs' cultural heritage and the old way of life are expressed through folklore and music.
27:29There are singing competitions between two people, where music and words are improvised.
27:35The winner is the one that can improvise the longest.
27:59Although the old traditions are kept alive, significant changes have occurred in Kazakh society over the last 35 years.
28:07Although the old traditions are kept alive, significant changes have occurred in Kazakh society over the last 35 years.
28:15They say they have benefited from the brigade system that has closed the gap between rich and poor.
28:21Now children have the opportunity to receive an education, and almost 80% attend schools run by the brigade and supported by the government.
28:29Abdul Kahir told the film crew he believed his life is better for these changes.
28:51I am a man of faith.
28:55I have 6 children.
28:59I have 6 children.
29:03I have 6 children.
29:07I have 6 children.
29:11I have 6 children.
29:15At the local school, Abdul Kahir's daughter Aziza is the teacher.
29:21At the local school, Abdul Kahir's daughter Aziza is the teacher.
29:27The books are provided by the government, and the text has been translated from Chinese to Arabic.
29:33Although the lessons are taught in the Kazakh language, the stories are based on communist themes.
29:41Marx and Engels were good friends.
29:45They helped each other in science.
29:49They helped each other in science.
29:53They helped each other in science.
29:57They helped each other in science.
30:01After the Cultural Revolution ended, the Chinese government developed a campaign against illiteracy.
30:07The main focus of the campaign is to teach children to read and write in their own language.
30:31By Western standards, Kazakh children are receiving a haphazard education.
30:35They spend only one hour a day in school, and if their parents need them to guard the herds,
30:41some children may not attend school for several months.
30:45A few students may get the opportunity to learn more than just these simple stories.
30:51Education is a form of status, and some families will send their children to schools in the city,
30:57where more advanced subjects like math and science are taught.
31:05The school and the summer grazing lands are about five miles from the brigade headquarters,
31:11which services four production teams.
31:15When the Chinese government organized minorities into clans,
31:19they were forced to leave their homes.
31:23The school and the summer grazing lands are about five miles from the brigade headquarters,
31:29which services four production teams.
31:33When the Chinese government organized minorities into communes,
31:37they sent representatives to this region to institute the changes.
31:41The representatives have since left, and the brigade headquarters are run entirely by the Kazakhs themselves.
31:47The headquarters consist of an administrative center, shearing facilities, and most importantly, a store.
31:53Aziza, Abdul-Kahir's daughter, and other women from his household said that in the past it was difficult,
31:59and took weeks of travel for their men to go to the town marketplace to buy necessary goods like shoes,
32:05cloth, teapots, and even grain.
32:09And it was virtually impossible for the women and children to do so.
32:15Today, in the government-run shop, Aziza can buy most things she needs, from kettles to sugar to sweets.
32:21She pays with money earned from her job as a teacher.
32:27Until recently, the brigade had a scale of points earned by each of its members,
32:33whether they were herdsmen or schoolteachers.
32:37At the end of every year, these points were traded for food,
32:41Early summer is a particularly busy time for the brigade,
32:45because the yaks must be branded.
32:49Yaks are high-altitude animals that can carry loads of almost 700 pounds.
32:53They are used for carrying tents and other belongings into the mountains.
32:57The yaks are also used to transport food,
33:01as well as other goods and supplies.
33:05Branding is a dangerous task and requires most of the men living in brigade headquarters to help out.
33:35The yaks are used to transport food,
33:39as well as other goods and supplies.
33:43They are used to transport food,
33:47as well as other goods and supplies.
33:51The yaks are used to transport food,
33:55as well as other goods and supplies.
33:59The yaks are used to transport food,
34:03as well as other goods and supplies.
34:07The main product produced by the brigade
34:11is the wool collected from individual families,
34:15which is then sold to the Chinese government.
34:19The main product produced by the brigade
34:23is the wool collected from individual families,
34:27which is then sold to the Chinese government.
34:31In the past, the Kazakhs took their wool on horseback
34:35to marketplaces in the larger cities.
34:39When they were collectivized,
34:43almost all of the animals were owned by the brigade,
34:47and the brigade paid its quota of wool to the government.
34:51Recently, because of changes in Chinese policy
34:55and the move towards a free enterprise system,
34:59the Kazakhs have regained ownership of their herds
35:03and are able to keep more of the money earned from the sale of wool.
35:07They are, however, still obligated to meet quotas
35:11and provide some wool to the government.
35:22This sheep dip is a modern invention.
35:26The sheep are thrown into a chemical bath
35:30to rid them of parasites like ticks and fleas.
35:47The brigade still maintains a herd.
35:51In the years when herdsmen do exceptionally well,
35:55they often send the group herds back for private use.
35:59If the herders don't do as well as expected,
36:03they may have to deplete their private herds
36:07to maintain the brigade's income.
36:11The brigade's output was monitored by a committee,
36:15which meets regularly to discuss the welfare
36:19and progress of its four production teams.
36:25Is it a good sheep?
36:27Yes, it is.
36:29You have got a lot of sheep.
36:33Yes, it's very good.
36:37You have a lot of sheep.
36:41I have two kinds of sheep.
36:45I gave them to my friends.
36:49Ahmed, the leader of Abdul Kahir's team,
36:53his committee. Ahmed has no authority here and the brigade committee has the right to agree or refuse
36:59to give him help in building a fence. The first speaker is the senior member of the committee,
37:05the brigade leader who has been elected by the production teams.
37:23The second speaker is the one who has been elected by the production teams.
37:29The second speaker is the one who has been elected by the production teams.
37:35The third speaker is the one who has been elected by the production teams.
37:41The fourth speaker is the one who has been elected by the production teams.
37:47The fifth speaker is the one who has been elected by the production teams.
37:52The sixth speaker is the one who has been elected by the production teams.
37:58The ninth speaker is the one who has been elected by the production teams.
38:06Because the brigade leader spoke in such positive terms, it's unlikely that the other committee members will contradict him.
38:13But nonetheless, everyone is expected to voice an opinion until they all agree.
38:17The decision is then formally given to Ahmed.
38:48The main economic ties between the Kazakhs and the government are through the sale of wool.
38:54The Chinese are now exporting wool products throughout the world.
38:58After careful weighing and packing, the wool is sent on a three-hour drive to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang province.
39:06Urumqi has a population of almost 100,000.
39:12Very few Kazakhs live in the city.
39:16Most people living here are members of the main ethnic group, Han.
39:20They were sent here during the Cultural Revolution and are now employed by industries making carpets and woolen garments.
39:27This booming business depends upon the high-quality wool provided by the Kazakhs.
39:33The government's current policy is to give the national minorities more autonomy,
39:37and the Kazakhs now find themselves in a more powerful position.
39:41They are able to supply the government with a needed product and still retain the profit.
39:48While the men are away during the day at brigade headquarters,
39:52the women continue with the daily chores, like milking the sheep.
40:01The herd is tethered at the back of the cattle.
40:05The women are the ones who carry out the daily chores.
40:09This is the sheep.
40:16The herd is tethered in a row.
40:18Many of the sheep have given birth this spring, so the women are careful to leave enough milk for their lambs.
40:30The sheep's milk will later be mixed with milk from their cattle to make yogurt and other foods.
40:40The wool kept by the women of Abdul-Kahir's family is used for felt-making, embroidery,
40:46or to weave bands that are used to tie around the tents.
41:00In the past, the women used natural dyes for their weaving,
41:04In the past, the women used natural dyes for their weaving,
41:08but now they're drawn to the more vibrant colors of synthetic dyes available through the government store.
41:35Some of the older members of the camp, like the mullah, pray several times a day.
41:41Since the Cultural Revolution and the discouragement of religious worship,
41:45not as many Kazakhs pray openly.
41:48There is only one mullah left. He's 76 years old.
41:55During the Cultural Revolution, when all traditional religions were suppressed,
42:00he had his religious books burned and had to stop praying openly.
42:04Today he's allowed to practice once again.
42:14In their summer camp in the mountains,
42:16most of the Kazakhs are isolated from the activities of the brigade camp five miles away.
42:21When they need medical attention, doctors make the journey to their homes.
42:30How long have you been here?
42:36How long have you been here?
42:43Have you been here since yesterday or the day before?
42:50The government has begun to train some Kazakhs in medicine.
42:53This young man, after only three months training,
42:56uses both modern techniques and acupuncture to treat the mullah's stiff shoulder.
43:11The Kazakhs used to rely on a combination of herbal medicines and prayer
43:15before the barefoot doctor system took hold in China.
43:18Acupuncture became more widely used after the Cultural Revolution.
43:23Although the mullah is allowing the treatment to take place,
43:26he does not fully believe in it.
43:54Practitioners believe that the use of acupuncture restores balance to the body.
43:59In the case of the mullah, the barefoot doctor says it will rid his body of the toxins
44:04that are causing pain in his shoulder.
44:07Needles are inserted into any of more than 2,000 points in the body.
44:12The Chinese believe that the insertion of the needles helps stimulate circulation
44:16and directs energy to tissues in the body that require healing.
44:20Acupuncture has a 5,000-year-old history,
44:23and in China today it is used widely in the general practice of medicine.
45:20The Chinese believe that the use of acupuncture restores balance to the body.
45:25The Chinese believe that the use of acupuncture restores balance to the body.
45:30The Chinese believe that the use of acupuncture restores balance to the body.
45:35The Chinese believe that the use of acupuncture restores balance to the body.
45:40The Chinese believe that the use of acupuncture restores balance to the body.
45:46It's good.
45:47It's good, isn't it?
45:49If you put it on your shoulder, you'll feel better.
45:52That's right.
45:59Come on, let's go.
46:02It's good here.
46:03Brother, isn't it good here?
46:05Yes, it is.
46:07When I was a kid, I used to play with it.
46:16It's good here.
46:19Many Kazakhs opposed Chinese attempts to suppress their religion and to change their way of life.
46:31In the late 1950s, some fled to Turkey and to Germany.
46:35Others went just across the border to the Soviet Union.
46:40Those who stayed in China, like the Mullah and Abdul-Kahir, continue to value the old ways.
46:47But traditions like their marriage customs have undergone change
46:51and have affected the Kazakh society far more than expected.
47:09It's good here.
47:40for formal discussions between the two sets of parents.
47:43Families are connected by ancestral bloodlines,
47:46and marriages are seen as a renewal of these relationships.
47:50In the past, the bride's family brought gifts to the groom's family
47:54as an affirmation of their relationship.
47:56In turn, the groom's family offered a bride wealth,
48:00usually horses or sheep that secured the marriage contract.
48:05This tradition is now prohibited by the Chinese government.
48:15The groom's family showers the bride's family with pieces of bread in a gesture of good luck.
48:21Unlike their parents, Aziza and her fiancé made their own decision to marry,
48:26a reflection of the changes taking place in their culture today.
48:30Weddings used to be arranged by matchmakers,
48:33usually the parents of the couple.
48:35Matchmaking served several purposes,
48:37but one was to guard against marriage between families
48:40that were related within seven generations in the male line.
48:47Now, as in the past, this pre-wedding ritual provides a time to celebrate,
48:52to feast, and to reaffirm family ties.
49:04Daughters are more precious in one sense than sons.
49:08They're called guest children because they are only at home for a short while
49:12before they marry and go to live with their in-laws.
49:33It's a gift from God.
49:37We give our happiness to our children.
49:45We got married.
49:50We were separated from our two children.
49:57Aziza and her fiancé obey tradition by staying away during these discussions,
50:02and they won't even attend the lavish feast being prepared in their honor.
50:06They won't officially marry until their parents have completed these ritual meetings
50:10at which everyone discusses the worthiness of the match
50:13and the character of the young people.
50:16We were separated from our two children.
50:19We were separated from our two children.
50:22We were separated from our two children.
50:26We were separated from our two children.
50:29We were separated from our two children.
50:32We were separated from our two children.
50:35We were separated from our two children.
50:38We were separated from our two children.
50:41We were separated from our two children.
50:44We were separated from our two children.
50:47We were separated from our two children.
50:50We were separated from our two children.
50:53We were separated from our two children.
50:56We were separated from our two children.
50:59We were separated from our two children.
51:02We were separated from our two children.
51:05We were separated from our two children.
51:08We were separated from our two children.
51:11We were separated from our two children.
51:14We were separated from our two children.
51:17We were separated from our two children.
51:20We were separated from our two children.
51:23We were separated from our two children.
51:26We were separated from our two children.
51:29We were separated from our two children.
51:32We were separated from our two children.
51:35We were separated from our two children.
51:38We were separated from our two children.
51:41We were separated from our two children.
51:44We were separated from our two children.
51:47All will be free.
51:50We will go to everyone's home.
51:58How do you know,
51:59How do you know,
52:00Because I don't need you to know
52:02Because I don't need you to know
52:05We're all together now.
52:07And we'll separate in 10 days.
52:10And we'll separate in 10 days.
52:13The older generation of Kazakhs have held on to their traditional culture and their
52:20Islamic religion while living under Chinese communism.
52:31But the younger people are in the midst of change.
52:34Despite their acceptance of the new ways, they acknowledge the need to keep Kazakh traditions
52:39alive.
52:40Even the young bridegroom is reluctant to lose his identity as a Kazakh.
53:11Aziza and her fiancé, Takhtasin, look forward to a life that will be much like that of their
53:28parents.
53:41The young people still practice some of the customs that are important to the older Kazakhs.
53:46At occasions like this wedding, the unmarried girls chase and playfully whip their boyfriends
53:52to show who belongs to whom.
54:10Even the older members of the clan take part in the festivities.
54:17The Kazakhs have accommodated their traditional way of life to the current political and economic
54:22realities of Chinese communism.
54:26Over the last few years, the government has adopted a policy of tolerance towards the
54:30minorities.
54:31And these new policies have made it possible for the Kazakhs to express their culture more
54:36openly.
54:37For now, the Kazakhs are able to preserve their customs.
54:41But the tension between old and new will undoubtedly continue.
54:58The future will present new challenges to Kazakh society.
55:02And how Abdulkahir's children and his grandchildren decide to face these challenges will determine
55:07the extent to which the Kazakhs continue to be known as the horsemen of China.
55:37Tomorrow night at 8, see a film documenting the breeding season and courtship behaviors
55:53of the king penguins on Survival Special.
55:56Now stay tuned for a look at America's Poverty on Frontline.
56:20For a transcript of this program, send $4 to NOVA, Box 322, Boston, Massachusetts 02134.
56:46Please be sure to include the show title.