Two boys wear masks during the Nadun (merrymaking) carnival at Wangjia village, the Hui and Tu Autonomous County of Minhe in northwest China's Qinghai Province Sept 2004.

　　Villagers play Taiping (peace) drum to celebrate a bumper harvest during the Nadun (merrymaking) carnival at Wangjia village, the Hui and Tu Autonomous County of Minhe in northwest China's Qinghai Province. Sept 2004.

　　Villager Wang Tingzhong displays a big steamed bread during the Nadun (merrymaking) carnival at Wangjia village, the Hui and Tu Autonomous County of Minhe in northwest China's Qinghai Province Sept 2004.

　　Villagers play a fan dance to celebrate a bumper harvest during the Nadun (merrymaking) carnival at Wangjia village, the Hui and Tu Autonomous County of Minhe in northwest China's Qinghai Province Sept 2004. 　

　　土族古老的狂欢节——纳顿

　　The Nadun Festival, also known as "July Meeting", is popular among the Tus living in the Minhe County in Qinghai. The annual festival starts from July 12 to Sept.15 of the Chinese lunar calendar, during which crop is harvested and fruits are ripe. The festival originally was held in memory of a carpenter well known for his wit, but it has now become a carnival celebrating good harvests. During the festival, men of Tu nationality gather to dance and sing, while women steam bread with a diameter of some 0.3 meters to worship the god of King Dragon for another fruitful year.

　　About the Tu nationality

　　关于土族

　　Distribution

　　The Tu ethnic group is concentrated in the Minhe and Datong counties and the Huzhu Autonomous County in the eastern part of Qinghai Province. Others live sparsely in Ledu and Menyuan in Qinghai Province and in the Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County in Gansu Province.

　　Economy

　　In ancient times, the Tu people engaged in sheep ranching and other animal husbandry. In the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), farming developed very quickly and the Tu people transitioned to farming with animal husbandry as a secondary form of livelihood. Major crops include wheat, highland barley, and potatoes.

　　Religion

　　As a result of generations of close contact with the Tibetans and Mongolians, most Tus practice Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism). Under the influence of the Han people, they also worship their ancestors and believe in the God of Wealth, the kitchen god, the door-god and others. The Family God is also revered in all households as the family protector.

　　Fashion

　　The clothes of the Tu people are unique in their colors and styles. Both men and women wear delicately embroidered clothes with high collars.