A Hmong village cascades down a hillside in China's Guizhou Province as twilight sets in. The Hmongs are called "Miao" in China, and they were the traditional enemies of the Han Chinese in past millenia when both groups of people were competing for land and resources. As a result of numerous conflicts over time, the Hmongs were eventually pushed into the high country where they live to this day and where they have developed their traditional culture revolving around the planting of sticky rice on terraces carved into the hillsides.
Tags: aerial blue hour China drone photography ethnic minority group Guizhou Province Hmong people Miao travel photography village
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A trio of women from the Black Hmong clan in front of their village in southeast China. In China the Hmongs are called "Miao," though the Chinese use this term somewhat loosely to include other ethnic groups as well. The Hmongs can be classified according to the color of their dress. So there are, for example, White Hmong, Green Hmong, and Striped Hmong. They are well known for their silversmiths, as these womens' intricate headresses demonstrate.
Tags: China environmental portrait ethnic minority group Guizhou Province headdress Hmong people Miao three people traditional clothing travel photography travel portrait village
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A Hmong toddler in southeastern Guizhou Province. This particular group of Hmongs still sport hairstyles in the tradition of the late Qing Dynasty, especially among the children. The boys have the front part of the head shaved and a queue (pigtail) in the back, while the girls just have the front part of their heads shaved like the Qing women of nobility. While the queue is often thought of as the traditional Chinese hairstyle for men, this is actually a misunderstanding of history. The Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was the last of the imperial dynasties of China. They were actually of Manchurian origin, and were not Han Chinese. In order to legitimize their rule, they enforced the wearing of the queue on Chinese men so that they looked just like the Manchurian men.
Tags: China flint musket Guizhou Province Hmong people travel photography travel portrait village
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An elderly Hmong gentleman smokes a long pipe in front of his house. There are multiple elements with strong cultural and spiritual symbolism in this image. The dried corn hanging in front of his house, the pipe smoking, and the indigo blue clothing are not only part of the Hmong cultural identity in this part of China, but they convey deep spiritual beliefs that these things help to ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune to the family and the clan. These elements also serve as a means of social interaction, spiritual connection, and cultural expression within their community.
Tags: China dried corn cob elderly man environmental portrait Guizhou Province Hmong people indigo blue clothing smoking pipe travel photography travel portrait village
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Women of the Dong ethnic group in Guangxi province perform their traditional welcome ceremony for visitors to their village. They are standing in front of the famous Chengyang "wind and rain" Bridge. The Dong people are known for their unique variety of sweet rice and their carpentry skills. They are especially famous for their "wind and rain bridge," a type of covered bridge that combines elements of a bridge, corridor, veranda, and Chinese pavilion all in one structure. The people traditionally used this bridge as a refuge from the elements when they were out working in the rice fields.
Tags: China Dong people Guangxi province minority group travel photography travel portrait wind and rain bridge
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