The Gorgeous Ethnic Costume Show Festival
Costume Festival
It is not exaggerated to say that the Yi people is the most rich one in the costumes among all the ethnic minorities in China. There are more than one hundred different types of costumes of the Yi.
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Every year on the 28th of the third lunar month, Yi people from Yongren County will hold a Costume Show Festival. On the festival, the Yi girls get together at the arena, with every one taking several sets of gorgeous dresses with flowery embroidery. They dance in a circle hand in hand as the young fellows accompany with Yueqin and Suona (two Chinese traditional musical instruments). There are several breaks during the dancing. Every time after the break, the girls will give you a brand-new eyesight by putting on another set of new dress. It is actually a way for girls to prove to others their dexterity, affluence and beauty. Costume Show Festival is a good opportunity for tourists to know about the colorful and delicate Yi costumes. |
A Gorgeous Ethnic Costume Contest in the Great Mountains
Zhiju Village is 72km away from the county seat of Yongren with a very rugged road. On our way to the venue of the Ethnic Costume Contest, which was on a slope opposite to the location of the vi11age affairs office, we saw afar the Yi women in threes and fours hurried1y take off their long sheepskin gowns and military hats in the fields temporari1y used as a natura1 backstage for the ethnic costume contest and put on colorfu1 ethnic costumes with cockscomb--shaped hats that symbolize a bumper harvest of a11 food crops, thriving livestock, and good luck.
| It can be well imagined that, if not for the special occasion, the ethnic people in the mountainous villages would not have dissipated money on such gorgeous clothing. Despite the fact that on other occasions they have to do farm work and can not be dressed up, another reason for the dissipation is that for whom they would wear such beautifu1 clothes. According to the villagers, all the mountain people, men and women, old and young, would simply wear long sheepskin gowns with military hats at ordinary times that make them appear energetically. A sheepskin gown can be used for resistance against cold wind and rain and also as a best mat for rest on the ground outdoors when a loca1 farmer is too tired from hard work. |
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Un1ess seeing with his or her own eyes, one would never believe there were so many spectators, so 1ively an occasion, and numerous charming Yi girls in such a remote place.
Before the opening ceremony of the contest, I thought I would be disappointed to faint if the women imitated the cats' postures and movements as those in cities. Luckily enough, all my worries were uncalled-for. In a traditional way of folk songs and dances to the music of the reed--pipe, bamboo f1ute and suona horn, the Yi young women appeared in one group after another. On the specia1 day the Yi maidens had on them the beauty of their home village, their love and their quick witted and nimble fingered crafts manship. In addition, the embroidered patterns of flowers on a Yi maiden's costume, such as Rhododendron de1avayi and camellia, must have been elaborately sewn around the fire pit in the log cabin from dark till daybreak, with skills learned from her mother and sisters by way of teach-by-doing or oral instruction from one generation to another. |
