White pants of the Yao minority

White Pants

Men of the Yao minority wear white pants embroidered with five or seven red lines and other pictures of various designs. Men wear these pants in honor of their brave ancestors and hope to inherit their fierce spirit.

It has been said that the Yao’s ancestors fought with devils in primitive society to protect the elderly, women and children. During battle, the devils left bloodstains on the Yao men’s pants. Although the devils were finally driven away, their ancestors were almost all sacrificed. As a result, Yao minority descendants wear these white pants to protect their families.

Leather Armor of the Yi minority

Yi minority males greatly worship leather armor, believing the armor will protect their entire family. The Yi people’s martial spirit is reflected in their worship of leather armor.

Leathern Armor of the Yi minority

The armor is generally made of cow leather and painted with a dragon figure and cloud edgings. Black, red and yellow are frequently used in Yi minority art and craftwork as the black stands for dignity, red for gallantry and yellow for brightness in their culture.

Headdress of Longhorn Miao minority

In Guizhou province a branch of Miao minority live—the Longhorn Miao minority. With a total population of 6,000, it is one of the least populous minorities in China. They live a primitive tribe lifestyle on the Daqing Mountain at an altitude of 1,600 meters.

All females of this minority have very long hair, which weighs around 3-6 kilograms. They coil their hair with a 0.5-0.7-meter ox horn-like wood. In order to make the chignon look bigger, women also coil wool together with their hair. The hairstyle explains the origin of their name—the Longhorn Miao minority.