Reindeer Tribe in China

In the forests of the Great Xing’an Mountains, the Ewenki people survive by breeding reindeer and hunting. They migrated from northern Siberia about 300 years ago.

Nowadays, there are only about 230 Ewenki reindeer breeders left. They have been described as ‘the last hunting tribe in China’.

In China, reindeer are sometimes called ‘Si Bu Xiang’, which literally means ‘four not alike’. It comes from the fact that reindeer have the attributes of four other animals: they have the antlers of a deer, the head of a horse, the hooves of a cow and the body of a donkey.

Although they live by hunting, the Ewenki people have a great affection for, and protect the reindeer. They are regarded as auspicious, and a symbol of happiness and enterprise.