Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
Culture
Home / Culture / Heritage

The true colors of miao

Exquisite needlework skills stitch together the past and present, Zhao Xu reports.

By Zhao Xu | China Daily | Updated: 2025-02-20 06:28
Share
Share - WeChat
A pleated skirt from the Miao ethnic group. [Photo provided to China Daily]

What does the word "embroidery" conjure in your mind? A symphony of colors and patterns? Glistening threads woven into delicate artistry? The quiet dedication of countless hours marked by strained eyes and aching backs? Or perhaps the opulence of haute couture, where every stitch whispers luxury? The embroidery of the Miao people — one of the most prominent ethnic groups in southwestern China — embodies all that and more, by fusing history and tradition, craftsmanship and storytelling.

"For the Miao people, embroidery is their Book of Heaven," says Tian Hui, director of the Ethnic Costume Museum at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, one of China's leading fashion colleges. While the Book of Heaven in Chinese mythology contains sacred texts of divine wisdom, the needlework of the Miao people holds the key to understanding the group's history and demography, as well as its cultural and spiritual heritage, says Tian.

One example is the vibrantly colored lines encircling the pleated skirts typically worn by the Miao people. Some researchers of Miao ethnic clothing suggest that these lines represent the great rivers — including the Yellow River and the Yangtze River — that the Miao crossed during their migration thousands of years ago.

"It is believed that the Miao's migration began with their defeat by the legendary ruler Huangdi, or the Yellow Emperor, more than 5,000 years ago," says Yang Jie, a professor of menswear design at BIFT. Yang was referencing the battle fought between the Yellow Emperor and Chiyou, a tribal leader and mythical figure still revered by many Miao people as their ancestor.

"Given the immense antiquity of the event, it may be impossible to confirm its details, but I am inclined to believe in this narrative, particularly due to the prevalence of peony flowers in Miao embroideries," he continues. "Peonies are not native to the southwestern regions where the Miao have lived for centuries, but rather to the Yellow River Basin. The only plausible explanation is that these people carried the memories of their ancestors with them as they were driven from the fertile land of what would become central China to the more distant, mountainous regions."

Born to a mother from the Miao ethnic group in Central China's Hunan province, Yang grew up with firsthand knowledge of the deep significance that fashion heritage played, both within his family and beyond. "When my maternal aunt married, she wore the heavily embroidered wedding dress once worn by her sister-in-law who had inherited the dress from her own grandmother," he says. "It took years to craft such a dress and, once completed, was meant to be cherished and passed down across generations."

By choosing slow over fast and old over new, the Miao people have managed to preserve their cultural identity through the ages, navigating the turbulence of history and the ever-changing tides of modern life. And they are not alone.

Last year, with over 220 pieces selected from the BIFT museum, the Chinese Traditional Culture Museum in Beijing held a grand exhibition showcasing the rich, diverse fashion legacy of China's ethnic groups.

A voluminous blouse once worn by a shamanic priestess from the Yi ethnic group. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A standout piece was a voluminous blouse known as guantouyi — meaning pullover — from the ethnic Yi people. One of the two oldest forms of clothing in China, along with the wraparound style, this garment was worn by a shamanic priestess — and likely several before her. Its ample fabrics must have swirled dramatically as she danced around the fire.

A patchwork garment, the piece is made up of many triangular fabric pieces. "Some are noticeably newer than others, as any piece that became very dirty or worn was replaced with a fresh one of similar color," says Gao Dandan, the exhibition's curator and a dedicated researcher of ethnic clothing. "As the blouse was handed down from one priestess to the next, new pieces were continuously added, replacing the old — until they, too, aged. A living historical record, it carried the touch of every hand that mended it and the spirit of those who wore it."

1 2 Next   >>|
Most Popular
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
主站蜘蛛池模板: 柳岩aa一一级毛片| 色妞www精品视频免费看| 巨龙肉色透明水晶丝袜校花| 亚洲变态另类一区二区三区| 精品国产一区二区三区在线| 国产日韩欧美亚欧在线| eeuss影院www在线观看免费 | 污污小视频在线观看| 国产亚洲美女精品久久久久| 18禁美女裸体免费网站| 婷婷人人爽人人爽人人片| 久久天天躁夜夜躁狠狠躁2015| 欧美激情videos| 内射人妻无套中出无码| 高清一级做a爱免费视| 国产精品第一区揄拍无码| 一本久久a久久精品亚洲| 日本牲交大片免费观看| 亚洲国产日韩精品| 熟女老女人的网站| 午夜精品久久久久久久久| 高清中国一级毛片免费| 国产精品无码av一区二区三区| mm131美女爱做视频在线看| 无套内射无矿码免费看黄| 二个人看的www免费视频| 老司机亚洲精品影视www| 国产真实乱对白精彩久久| acg全彩无遮挡口工漫画网址| 成人精品一区久久久久| 久久精品无码免费不卡| 欧美多人换爱交换乱理伦片| 伊人久久大香线蕉avapp下载| 老子影院在线观看| 国产在线视频福利| youjizz亚洲| 国内精品久久久久国产盗摄| www.人人干| 成人无遮挡裸免费视频在线观看| 久久久老熟女一区二区三区| 最近中文字幕mv免费视频|