A hidden ethnic group in China's desert, living for 2,000 years, was discovered 400 years ago

The desert you see now is the Taklimakan Desert, known as the Sea of Death. Taklimakan in Uyghur means a place that can be entered, but cannot be exited. It is said that this was once a city cursed thousands of years ago. Disappearing in the desert, it has since been considered a restricted area for life. The Taklimakan Desert is the largest desert in China and the second largest mobile desert in the world. Because it is located in the center of the Eurasian continent, it is affected by the cross-flow of wind and sand from the two prevailing wind directions, northwest and north. These activities are so frequent and violent that the shape of the sand dunes changes daily. Therefore, even if a desert road is built at a huge cost, the road is often submerged by the sand dunes. In the depths of this desert, there is a nation left behind by the world and history. They live in isolation to this day. It is unknown how they have remained isolated in the heart of this Sea of Death for more than 1,000 years. They have been guarding this paradise in the desert for generations. They are the Karya people, who live in Daryabuyi. The Karya people were once called the Savage Remnants. How do they survive in this land of death? In the hinterland of the desert, where do they come from? Who are their ancestors? These questions have always been a mystery. Daryabuyi means riverside in Uyghur, referring to villages along the river. This big river is the Karya River, originating from the Kunlun Mountains. After the snow in the Kunlun Mountains melts, it flows from south to north into the Taklamakan Desert, converging to form the Karya River. This creates a green corridor 10 kilometers wide from east to west and more than 300 kilometers long from north to south. At the river's end lies the Daryabuyi Oasis. Surrounded by the Karya River, there are 3,000-year-old populous Euphratica forests that have not died or fallen. Fat aquatic plants grow along both sides of the riverbank. The oasis formed by the 400-year-old ancient river along the way is where the original herdsmen, the Karya people, live. The Karya River kept changing its course due to floods, forcing the Karya people to keep migrating. Gradually, the people living in isolation lost contact with the oases on the desert's edge as the river and the oasis extended. It is difficult for outsiders or even the Karya people themselves to find this place. It takes 13 days to travel out by camel. Before 1895, this nation lived quietly and alone in the desert until a Swedish explorer, Sven Hayden, arrived. The explorer found two ruins, Dandan Ullik from the Tang Dynasty and Karadun from the Jin and Han Dynasties, within the sand sea and sought to trace them to the desert's end. Curious about where the last few drops of water would lead, he walked along the riverbank. Climbing over sand dunes, passing through the populous Euphratica Forest and navigating reed swamps, he finally reached the end of the Karya River and discovered this oasis, unknown to the world. Not only were there groups of wild camels roaming freely, but the area was also a haven for wild boars. To his surprise, a community of In his book, Travel in the Heart of Asia, he excitedly wrote that the old residents in the woods were true hermits. Even the Chinese emperor ruling Xinjiang didn't know they existed. For 100 years, the history of this place remained undisturbed by unexpected technological intrusions. It took about half a century, until 1959, before the Chinese government sent an expedition team to find this isolated group of Uyghurs and built the village of Daryabui for them. There are about 263 households in Daryabui village, and the original residents number about 1,300 people. Because it is located on the bank of the Karya River, they call themselves Karya people and believe that their mission is to protect Karya. The Karya people are a distinct group. Since their ethnic identity cannot currently be precisely determined, they are classified as Uyghurs based on their use of the Uyghur language for communication. However, the Uyghur they speak is quite different from the Uyghur spoken in other areas. They humorously refer to their speech as a Uyghur dialect. The origin of the Karya people remains a mystery, as there are no records of such a village in Chinese historical documents. Even though it can be inferred from their current way of life that they have likely lived here for a long time, there is no definitive proof. The Karya people have resided in the region for more than 1,000 years, but their exact origins remain unclear. There are currently about five mainstream theories regarding their ancestry. One theory suggests they are descendants of the leader of the Ali Guge dynasty in Tibet. In the mid-17th century, the Guge dynasty faced attacks from Kashmir's Ladakh region, and after the onslaught, a small group of over a hundred people crossed the Kunlun Mountains to escape the conflict and eventually settled here. Another theory proposes that they are a branch of the ancient Lulan people, who disappeared over 2,000 years ago. A third theory claims they are the remnants of one of the 36 kingdoms of the western regions. A fourth hypothesis is that they are survivors of the Huegu kingdom and the original inhabitants of the desert. The final theory posits that approximately 400 years ago, farmers from the ancient agricultural areas of the Yudian oasis, such as Mugala and Karuk, traveled north along the river in search of pasture. Finding ample water and grass, they decided to settle here. The origin of the Karya people has never been conclusively determined. In terms of physical characteristics, the Karya people bear similarities to Europeans, with tall noses, deep-set eyes, and occasionally green irises. At the same time, they also exhibit traits commonly associated with the Chinese, such as yellow-toned skin. Isolated from the world, they do not adhere to any clan beliefs but wear hairpins and Taoist robes featuring yin-yang fish patterns. However, not everyone dresses this way. Some villagers wear sheepskin clothing. While their village might seem primitive, resembling life from thousands of years ago, there are some modern elements, such as iron tools and in recent years, electric lights. Time in the desert appears to have stood still. For the Karya people, the world outside the desert holds little meaning. They see themselves as akin to poplar trees, and their concept of time is vague. People born during the green time, or the flood, cannot accurately determine their age. Over centuries, isolation has accustomed the Karya people to solitude. Whether life exists beyond the desert seems irrelevant to them. Karya village appears as if it has reverted to the Stone Age. Households are scattered along both sides of the river, with the barrenness of the land necessitating significant distances between homes, often several kilometers, to allow vegetation to support their livelihood. Despite this, the flocks of sheep are well fed. Daryabuy village spans about 2,000 square kilometers and is sparsely populated. The residents live within their own enclosures, in simple yet clean homes. Each house is constructed using poplar branches and tamarisk, plants found only in the desert. To survive, they use the enduring branches of Populus euphratica for piles, and weave the tough red willow horizontally into walls. The interiors feature wooden frames and mud walls. Floors in the large living rooms are covered with fine soil, kept moist to prevent drying. Roofs are made from reeds, with gaps filled using mud from the Karya river. Under such limited conditions, these simple structures serve as their homes. Every household creates a platform about 30 centimeters thick from sand, over which they spread carpets or wool felt to serve as beds. There is a deep pit about 50 centimeters in the middle of the house, surrounded by stones with a large pot placed on them. This serves as their kitchen and stove. Additionally, there is a fire pit about one square meter in size in the center of the house, used for cooking. The fire in the pit, where they eat and rest, is kept burning perpetually, because they believe fire symbolizes life. If the fire goes out, they believe the desert will become a dead place. Today, although they have modernized significantly, they still adhere to their traditional customs and spiritual heritage. The Karya people live in a harsh environment with limited food sources, but this does not mean they lack delicious cuisine. Living in the desert, they often incorporate sand into their cooking. Xinjiang's traditional staple food, naan, is called kumaichi here. Unlike traditional naan, kumaichi dough does not require fermentation. This unfermented dough is denser and more filling than other types. To prepare it, they first light a fire on the sand, heating it until the sand is hot, and then extinguish the charcoal fire. They dig a hole to create a kiln, bury the dough cake in the hole, cover it with a layer of sand, and let it simmer directly. There is no barrier between the dough and the charcoal ash. Once baked, the naan is patted clean by hand or with tools. While some dust may remain on the cake, it is harmless and aids digestion. The size of the cake depends on the kiln's dimensions. Smaller kilns produce smaller cakes, while larger kilns are used for bigger cakes. During the New Year and festivals, the cakes can grow as large as a round table. Naan in the desert can even remain fresh at room temperature for several months. Tea is a staple beverage, typically a natural milk tea brewed with tea leaves and goat's milk. Salt is often added to enhance the flavor and mask the goat milk's odor. Soaked in the salty aroma, naan becomes simply delicious. Milk tea is considered a rich and satisfying lunch for the Korea people. Additionally, the Korea people have a special medicinal tea called chaidula, made with foo tea, fennel, vanilla, and other herbal ingredients. It is said these herbs alkalize the desert water, improving its taste. Apart from tea, mutton skewers, a quintessential Xinjiang delicacy, are also popular. Using local materials, they cut red willow branches from the desert into sticks about half an arm's length and as thick as chopsticks. These are then fashioned into skewers. Lamb leg meat, cut into bun-sized pieces in a three lean to one fat ratio, is threaded onto the skewers. The burning poplar branches infuse the lamb with a smoky, tantalizing aroma. Under the vast starry sky, the Korea people gather around bonfires, eating meat and talking all night, even though they live near water sources. In 1989, the Dali Yabuyi Township government established essential services, marking the start of modernization for the Korea people, who transitioned from nomadic to settled life. Once isolated, their land became a tourist destination, introducing them to both civilization and its disruptions. The Koreas, rooted in nature and tradition, embraced modern education and agricultural techniques, but faced challenges like shrinking water resources. In 2016, the government initiated their relocation due to ecological and economic concerns. By 2019, all 362 households had moved to a new village, leaving behind their desert homeland. This transition reflects the diminishing existence of minority groups as civilization expands.