The Sala Ethnic Green Homeland

　　The Xunhua Sala Ethnic Green Homeland is situated in the northeast of the autonomous county, with an average altitude of over 2,500 meters and a main peak at 4,178 meters. It boasts picturesque landscapes, where hundreds of tree species stretch their canopies overhead, and various flowers and plants carpet the ground. It is home to precious medicinal herbs such as ginseng, notoginseng, and fritillaria, as well as a large number of rare animals, earning it the reputation of the “Highland Xishuangbanna.”

　　Xunhua is the only autonomous county in China for the Sala ethnic group, located in the southeast of Qinghai Province. The ancestors of the Sala people settled and thrived on this temperate, lush, and tree-lined Yellow River terrace. Over time, they developed colorful and distinctive ethnic customs and traditions through long-term interactions with the Tibetan, Hui, Han, and other ethnic groups. This has fostered a rich historical culture and deeply rooted ethnic heritage, composing a joyful symphony of strengthened ethnic unity and shared development.

　　　　 The Sala ethnic group traces its origins to the ancestors—the Sarmakand people from Central Asia—who migrated to Xunhua via a long journey through Xinjiang during the Yuan Dynasty. Over time, living alongside neighboring Tibetan, Hui, Han, and Mongolian peoples, they gradually formed what is now known as the Sala ethnic group. The Sala have their own language, which belongs to the Western Hun branch of the Turkic language family within the Altaic language system. Due to prolonged interaction with neighboring Han, Hui, and Tibetan peoples, many Chinese and Tibetan words have been incorporated into their vocabulary. They do not have a written script but use Chinese characters. The Sala people practice Islam, and their lifestyle and customs are largely similar to those of the Hui people. Sala men often grow beards and wear black or white round caps, along with white sweatshirts and blue jackets. Women wear veils and favor accessories such as earrings and bracelets.