The costumes of Chinese minorities are famous for their vivid colors, exquisite craftsmanship and beautiful design all around the world. The characteristics of each minority’s costume closely relate to its culture and there are beautiful legends behind each one. In these ancient legends, people may find the characteristics are not only part of the exquisite craft, but also a heritage of tradition and culture, in which rich social customs and cultural connotation are deeply buried.

Hats of the Yi and Kirgiz minorities

Crest Cap of Yi Girls

Hats, due to their important image and key part of the entire ethnic costume, receive the most attention and portray a specific culture. Some hats depict the ethnic origin, while others show ancient people’s intelligence.

Every girl of Yi minority wears a beautiful and adorable crest cap. A story about the origin of the cap is as follows: Long ago, there was a couple living happily together. One day, an unfortunate event happened where a devil destroyed their village. In order to protect local residents, the couple fought with the devil but failed. At a critical moment, a rooster crowed and the sun rose, which scared the devil away and enabled the couple to escape. From then on, the Yi minority believe the rooster can bring them safety and happiness. To this day every Yi girl wears a crest cap to recognize the rooster and pray for auspiciousness. The Hani and Bai minorities are also fond of crest caps，but in different styles.

Hat of the Kirgiz minority

As for the hats worn by the Kirgiz minority in Xinjiang province, it is said that it was the minister’s beautiful daughter who created the distinctive woolen hat to identify the soldiers in war. The hat carries rich and fanciful meanings: “it is as vital as grass in spring, as beautiful as flowers in summer, as bright as stars in autumn and as pure as snow on the ice mountain in winter.” This particular type of woolen hat can keep people warm in cold areas and protect during windstorms. The Kirgiz people worship the hat as a holy hat and only wear it during special holidays, holding it in great regard.