Uygur's Costume
( 2005-09-13 )

The Uygur ethnic group has a population of 7,210,000, with the majority living in concentrated communities to the south of the Tianshan Mountains and the rest distributed in Ili and other places in the northern part of Northwest China'sXinjiangUygur Autonomous Region.

The Uygurs believe in Islam and have their own written and spoken language. Mainly involved in agriculture, they grow fine cotton. From absorbing the best of both Eastern and Western cultures along the "Silk Road" connecting Europe and Asia, the Uygur people have created a unique culture. Theirjadecarvings, carpets, tapestries, and other handicraft are all renowned.

The costume of theUygur ethnic minorityfeatures looseness, free style, and sharp color contrast. In the past, the majority of Uygur women wore broad-sleeved one-piece dresses topped with a black waistcoat. Now, they mostly wear Western-style short jackets and skirts.

Women like to wear jewelry like earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. In the past, girls arranged their hair into many small braids: the longer the hair, the more beautiful. After marriage, they braid their hair into two, and decorate it with a crescent-shaped comb; some arrange the two braids into a bun.

Uygur men usually wear a long gown with a tilted front and a waistband but no buttons.