Investigation Of Sheep Dongxiang Cultural Perspective

Most Dongxiang minority people live in Gansu Province, mainly livein Dongxiang Autonomous County of Gansu Province in our country.Sheep occupies a very important place in their life, mostly involving infields of historical memory, daily life, economic activities, runningthrough people whole material life and mental life. In Dongxiang County,sheep is a cultural symbol, deeply rooted in Dongxiang traditional andmodern society.Sheep has a close relationship with people’s daily life. The bad naturalenvironment in Dongxiang County makes the low productivity inagriculture. Nearly every family has several sheep to ensure the expectedincome and feed their family. In religious life, to kill the sheep is the maincontent. Sheep has become a cultural symbol, expressing people religiousfeelings and devout faith. Through the long life, there has developed richlocal knowledge and ethics. For the time being, sheep has become thepillar industry and has been greatly advocated. Relying on the sheepindustry, the economy will develop better.In the traditional life, sheep has a tighter connection with people.With the change of the social environment, the Dongxiang society hasbeen changing accordingly. The traditional life has transited into commercialized economy. With the variation of ideas and living ways,they no longer make clothes and mat by themselves. Instead, they go tothe market and buy these things directly. Therefore, the Ganzhan skill hasfailed to be handed down from the past generations. Take anotherexample here, the folk literature including stories and folk songs hasconfronted with the crisis of inheritance. It is undoubtedly subject to thesocial environment. The thesis makes the viewpoint of inheriting andpreserving culture by developing and innovating it consciously. It is ofcrucial significance to the national survival and development.The thesis chiefly applies participant observation and in—depthinterview of the classic anthropological fieldwork, makes a detailedstudy of the living environment of Dongxiang Nationality and therelationship between sheep and their life in traditional and modern society,present the social life of the Dongxiang Nationality, and see through theideas about life, production, culture of the Dongxiangs. Based on theinvestigation, the author holds that the fieldwork could interpret the rolethat sheep plays in their life and the importance to the development andchange of the Dongxiang society fully and objectively.