Not to be confused with
Dangxiang, the Chinese name for the
Qiangic ethnic group.
The Dongxiang (autonym: Sarta or Santa) are a Mongolic people and one of 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. Half of the population live in Dongxiang Autonomous County, Linxia Prefecture, Gansu Province, China. The rest are divided over Hezheng County, Linxia City, Lanzhou, Dingxi and Ningxia. According to the China Statistical Yearbook 2021, their population numbers 774,947, although research has found that the number is inflated due to Hui identifying themselves as Dongxiang for the census, in order to benefit from minority policies.