Tatars in China

Tatars in China
Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev (left) with representatives of China's Tatar community, 2003
Total population
3,544 (2021)
Regions with significant populations
Northwestern Xinjiang
Languages
Tatar, Kazakh, Uyghur, Standard Chinese
Religion
Islam
Related ethnic groups
Volga Tatars

Chinese name
Simplified Chinese塔塔尔族
Traditional Chinese塔塔爾族
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinTǎtǎ'ěrzú
Tatar name
Tatarтатарлар
tatarlar

Tatars (Chinese: 塔塔尔族; pinyin: Tǎtǎ'ěrzú; Tatar: татарлар, romanized: tatarlar) are the smallest of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the Chinese government. They are a Turkic people who mostly live in northwestern Xinjiang. As of 2020, there are 3,544 Tatars in China, concentrated in the cities of Yining (Ghulja), Tacheng (Qoqek), Altay, and Ürümqi, as well as the herding areas of Burqin County and Qitai County. The Daquan Tatar Ethnic Township in Qitai County, which sits on the edge of the Gurbantünggüt Desert, is the only subdivision designated for Tatars.