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 has its own different clothes, and the elaborately designed women’s garments are peculiarly enchanting. 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, they have glistening pieces of silver and silver bells sewn onto the front, back, cuffs, and lap of the jacket. So it’s named a 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 beautiful pleated skirts have as many as 40 layers with over 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. Some women also like wearing colorful embroidered shoes and leggings.

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.

There are usually five colors used in Miao clothes: black, white, blue, red, and yellow. Miao women make many of their clothes themselves by weaving, dying, sewing, and embroidering.

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.

Without a huge silver headdress, Miao women only wear a colorful embroidered handkerchief on their head on informal occasions.

Embroidery

Girls start to learn how to embroider from their mother when they are only seven or eight years old. They will become a proficient embroiderer when they are 14 or 15 years old. Before they are ready to be married, they will spend 3 to 5 years making themselves a suit of embroidered garments to act as a dowry.

Their culture, religion, and history are reflected on the intricately designed embroidery work. Water waves, mountains, stars, butterflies, dragons, birds, flowers, and animals are themes that have lasted throughout the centuries.

Without a written language for thousand of years, the Miao use their embroidered garments to record history.You can read many old stories in the embroidered patterns that have been handed down for years. Actually almost each embroidered pattern has an interesting 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 worker will use a knife immersed in hot wax to paint a picture on a sheet of white cloth. Then they will dye the cloth in a huge vat, sometimes with as many as five different colors. After dyeing, the cloth is ready to be rinsed and boiled.

Chinese Miao batik art is quite interesting and unique.

C. Liu has published lots of articles on Miao history, art, and culture. Go to her website to learn more about Miao batik and other fascinating arts like beautiful Miao silver jewelry.