Who are the Miao?

There are over 100 different Miao ethnic minority groups residing in the mountainous area of south and southwestern China. Every group is distinguished by its different costume, and the beautiful women’s clothes are exceptionally fascinating. Embroidery, batik, and beautiful silver jewelry are all indispensable additions to Miao style.

Clothes for the holidays

During holidays, weddings, and other large ceremonies, Miao women usually wear a short jacket with beautiful, embroidered patterns on the narrow sleeves, shoulders, and collar. In some areas, you can see shine silver pieces are sewed onto the front, back, and lap of their jackets. This is so-called silver jacket.

Some women like wearing beautiful long skirts which extend to the feet, while the others like cute short skirts which only come to their knees. Their elegant pleated skirt can have 40 layers with more than 500 pleats.

In front of the skirts is a colorful embroidered apron, which hangs and gets to the knees too. Four or five long waistbands fly behind the apron, like a peacock’s colorful tail feathers. To some women, leggings and embroidered shoes are beautiful accessory to their luxuriant costume.

With extraordinary silver ornaments, like big silver headdress, neckbands, bracelets, and earrings to go with these clothes, many Miao women can proudly claim they are the most beautiful women in the world.

Miao clothes usually have five colors: yellow, blue, red, white, and black. The clothes are always homemade by Miao women themselves.

Casual suits

Miao casual suits look simple and light, but they are still very beautiful. Aprons, jackets, and shirts are all characterized by the intricate embroidered designs.

On informal occasions, Miao women only wear a simple embroidered handkerchief on their head.

Embroidery

Girls start to learn how to embroider from their mother when they are only seven or eight years old. At the age of 14 or 15, they have become an expert on embroidery. To prepare a dowry, a suit of embroidered clothes is need, which will take them 3-5 years to make before they are ready to get married.

Their mysterious culture, religion and long history can be read on the beautiful embroidery. You always can see the design of mountains, water waves, butterflies, flowers, and dragons on their embroidery.

For many generations, the Miao didn’t have a written language, so their embroidered clothes are indeed a history book worn on the body.Lots of old and interesting stories can be viewed in the embroidered designs. And almost every embroidered design tells a story.

Batik

Techniques for making batik, a durable cloth with remarkable colors and designs, have been around for more than 1,000 years.

First, a Miao artist will draw a picture on the white cloth with a knife dunked in hot wax. Then they will use five distinctive colors to dye the cloth in a large vat. After dyeing, the cloth is ready to be rinsed and boiled.

The unique Chinese Miao batik art has thousands of years of history.

C. Liu has spent many years studying and researching the fascinating Miao culture. Go to her website to learn more about Miao batik and other fascinating arts like beautiful Miao silver jewelry.