China - Rural life - Ethnic minorities

An elderly Bai Xing style Miao woman sits outside her home splicing ramie fibre, Lao Zhai Zi village, Guizhou province, China. Ramie is one of the oldest fibre crops, having been used for at least six thousand years, and is principally used for fabric production. It is a bast fibre and the part used is the bark of the vegetative stalks. Almost 35% of Guizhou's population is made up of over 18 different ethnic minorities including the Miao. Each Miao group became isolated in these mountainous regions, hence the present day diversity in their culture, costume and dialects. According to a popular saying, "if you meet 100 Miaos, you will see 100 costumes."

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Filename: 099-09_1.jpg
Copyright: Tessa Bunney
Image Size: 3464x3464 / 1.8MB; Asia Bunney China PRC Republic Southwest Tessa countryside ethnic ethnic minority minorities minority remote rural Guizhou traditional clothing costume handicraft hands textiles fabric cloth material old elderly woman female work working make making hill tribe village Miao Bai-xing Hmong ramie fiber fibre splice splicing mountainous region
Contained in galleries: Tessa Bunney - All pics, China - Yunnan and Guizhou

An elderly Bai Xing style Miao woman sits outside her home splicing ramie fibre, Lao Zhai Zi village, Guizhou province, China. Ramie is one of the oldest fibre crops, having been used for at least six thousand years, and is principally used for fabric production. It is a bast fibre and the part used is the bark of the vegetative stalks. Almost 35% of Guizhou's population is made up of over 18 different ethnic minorities including the Miao. Each Miao group became isolated in these mountainous regions, hence the present day diversity in their culture, costume and dialects. According to a popular saying, "if you meet 100 Miaos, you will see 100 costumes."