The Miao minority group residing in the southwest China are well known for their splendid silver jewelry. But throughout their history of extended migration, the Miao have developed many different tribes, one of which is the Long Horn Miao.
The Long Horn Miao get their name because of a large wooden horn that they use to decorate their hair. During holidays, women twist hair left by their ancestors with black wool around the horn to make a big, spectacular headdress that weighs 3-6 kilograms.
In a village called Suojia at 1,800 meters above sea level, there are less than 5,000 Long Horn Miao people who still live a simple, pristine life just as their ancestors did thousands of years ago. Until 1994, when a Norwegian anthropologist came here, the village was completely unknown to the outside world.
The Long Horn Miao build their houses out of couch grass and dirt. Men farm and go hunting, while women spend their time on spinning, weaving cloth, making batik, and doing embroidery.
They love and worship pheasants, because they believe their ancestors found corn seeds and survived in the remote mountainous areas thanks to pheasants. Examining their colorful garments, you will find the beautiful designs imitate the feathers of a pheasant. The women's black felt aprons and white leg wrappings are exactly like the bird's breast and legs.
You may wonder why the local people like to decorate their hair with a large horn. It's said that in ancient times when their king died in war, they would put bows and arrows in their hair and swear to avenge the king. This custom was kept from generation to generation. Gradually the Long Horn Miao formed a habit of using a large horn to adorn their hair.
When combing their hair, women keep their fallen hair to twist together with black wool. They give this collection to their daughters as a dowry. An outstanding hair bun kept in a local museum is made of hair from five generations of women. It weighs almost 6 kilograms.
A single headdress is usually about 15 cm tall and both ends fall down to the shoulders. It takes at least one hour to prepare such a headdress.
More and more people are coming to visit Soujia. The tourists are impressed with the unique culture of the Long Horn Miao, and also shocked by their poverty. Without electricity, the local people still use oil lamps today.
The Long Horn Miao get their name because of a large wooden horn that they use to decorate their hair. During holidays, women twist hair left by their ancestors with black wool around the horn to make a big, spectacular headdress that weighs 3-6 kilograms.
In a village called Suojia at 1,800 meters above sea level, there are less than 5,000 Long Horn Miao people who still live a simple, pristine life just as their ancestors did thousands of years ago. Until 1994, when a Norwegian anthropologist came here, the village was completely unknown to the outside world.
The Long Horn Miao build their houses out of couch grass and dirt. Men farm and go hunting, while women spend their time on spinning, weaving cloth, making batik, and doing embroidery.
They love and worship pheasants, because they believe their ancestors found corn seeds and survived in the remote mountainous areas thanks to pheasants. Examining their colorful garments, you will find the beautiful designs imitate the feathers of a pheasant. The women's black felt aprons and white leg wrappings are exactly like the bird's breast and legs.
You may wonder why the local people like to decorate their hair with a large horn. It's said that in ancient times when their king died in war, they would put bows and arrows in their hair and swear to avenge the king. This custom was kept from generation to generation. Gradually the Long Horn Miao formed a habit of using a large horn to adorn their hair.
When combing their hair, women keep their fallen hair to twist together with black wool. They give this collection to their daughters as a dowry. An outstanding hair bun kept in a local museum is made of hair from five generations of women. It weighs almost 6 kilograms.
A single headdress is usually about 15 cm tall and both ends fall down to the shoulders. It takes at least one hour to prepare such a headdress.
More and more people are coming to visit Soujia. The tourists are impressed with the unique culture of the Long Horn Miao, and also shocked by their poverty. Without electricity, the local people still use oil lamps today.
About the Author:
C. Liu has been writing about 925 silver jewelry, for years. Sometimes she promotes the work of select artists. Go to her website to see great examples of fine silver jewelry.
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