The Miao minority group residing in the southwest China are well known for their splendid silver jewelry. But throughout their history of extended migration, the Miao have developed many different tribes, one of which is the Long Horn Miao.
The Long Horn Miao get their name because of a large wooden horn that they use to decorate their hair. During holidays, women twist hair left by their ancestors with black wool around the horn to make a big, spectacular headdress that weighs 3-6 kilograms.
In a village called Soujia at 1,800 meters above sea level, there are about 5,000 Long Horn Miao people. They lead a simple life that has not changed much during the past several centuries.
The Long Horn Miao use couch grass and dirt to build their homes. Men farm and go hunting, while women work on spinning, weaving cloth, making batik, and sewing clothes.
They have a long tradition of worshiping pheasants, as they believe pheasants helped their ancestors find corn seeds and survive in the mountainous areas. This is reflected in the women’s colorful garments. The designs on their shirts and pleated skirts imitates the feathers of a pheasant. Their black felt aprons and white leg wrappings look like the bird’s breast and legs.
You may wonder why the local people like to decorate their hair with a large horn. It’s said that in ancient times when their king died in war, they would put bows and arrows in their hair and swear to avenge the king. This custom was kept from generation to generation. Gradually the Long Horn Miao formed a habit of using a large horn to adorn their hair.
When women comb their hair, they will keep the fallen hair and spin it with wool. They will hand this collection down to their daughters as a dowry. A famous hair bun kept in the local museum is made of hair from five generations of women. It weighs about 6 kilograms.
These headdresses made of hair and black wool can reach about 15 cm high, with both ends dropping down to the shoulders. The local women will spend over 1 hour preparing their headdress for the holidays.
Soujia has been attracting people from all over the world since the mid-1990’s. The tourists are fascinated by the colorful culture of the Long Horn Miao, and also appalled by their poverty. In a local home, you can’t find a good piece of furniture, let alone a TV set, a washing machine, or any silver jewelry.
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