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A people known for large-scale migrations
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Editor’s Note:
China has 56 ethnic groups. Today’s distribution of ethnic groups resulted from expansion and integration during Chinese history. Each group has its own rich and colorful tradition of costumes, festivals, religious beliefs and dietary habits.
This biweekly column will introduce and explain the evolution and characteristics of each ethnic group.
Zhang Qian
Miao people in China are often compared to the Jews because of their long history of migration in ancient times.
This has contributed to the wide distribution and very different characteristics of different branches within the ethnic group.
With a population of 8,940,116, the Miao people form one of the largest ethnic minorities in southwest China. They mainly live in Guizhou, Yunnan, Hunan and Sichuan provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, but they can be traced to many other regions. Most Miao live in tightly knit communities, with a few living in areas inhabited by other ethnic groups.
The Miao’s ancestry can be traced back to the “Chiyou” tribe, a primitive society in the Central Plains that was defeated by the Yellow Emperor about 5,000 years ago.
Since then most historians agree the Miao have had five big migrations. Most Miao people migrated to the southern part of China by the Song Dynasty (960-1279), while they were still frequently attacked during the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. It was not until the 19th century that the Miao settled in their current locations.
Their migration routes traversed more than half of China, landing Miao communities in almost every province in southern China. Their battles and migrations are passed down through songs and myths.
Such a wide distribution has resulted in marked differences in dialect, names and the clothing of Miao people in different regions.
The Miao language belongs to the Miao-Yao branch of the Chinese-Tibetan language family. It has three main dialects in China based in west Hunan, east Guizhou and Sichuan provinces. Some Miao people also use the languages of other ethnic groups, including Mandarin, due to their contacts with other groups.
Many Miao communities have their own clothing. These clothes and their hairstyles are the best way to distinguish one branch of Miao from another. Brilliant embroidery and silver ornaments are distinctive national features, as is the accordion-pleated women’s skirt.
Miao dresses usually seem complicated to outsiders, as a single pleated skirt might have 30 to 40 layers and over 500 creases. Most of the dresses are handmade by the girls themselves, including weaving, dying, tailoring and embroidering.
Girls of around seven will learn embroidery from mothers and older sisters. By the time they are teenagers they are quite deft.
Female festive attire includes a variety of silver decorations including hats, necklaces, bracelets and rings. Aesthetics are of course one reason for wearing so much silver, but it also shows affluence and is believed to ward off evil spirits.
Miaos are primarily farmers. They grow rice, sweet potatoes, millet, corn, wheat, buckwheat and sorghum.
Sticky rice is a favorite food of Miao people. Colored sticky rice is especially popular during Miao festivals. They also make rice dumplings and other snacks with sticky rice.
The majority of Miao people believe in animism and worship their ancestors.
They worship the sun, moon, lightning, thunder, fire, rivers, caverns, large trees, huge stones and some animals. They believe that everything that moves or grows has its own spirit, and the spirits of the dead will turn into ghosts that may haunt families and animals. Wizards are invited to perform ceremonies to drive out the devil ghosts when bad things happen. Some wizards are also physicians.
Gu shu, a legendary magic for driving out evil spirits, is known by only a few Miao people today and is basically a mystery to most outsiders.
With missionaries visiting Miao villages since the 19th century, some converted to Christianity, including Catholicism.
There are many Miao festivals including those honoring ancestors or celebrating the end of the busy farming and hunting seasons. The festivals often provide opportunities for young people from different villages to meet. The girls will dress in their best embroidery and wear their most exquisite silver ornaments when trying to attract a good husband.
A lusheng is a reed pipe made of bamboo and is a popular instrument among Miao people. The tallest reed pipe is 3 meters high while the shortest is less than a meter.
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