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Duyun Maojian Tea processing technique
Maojian, a kind of green tea grown in different places across the country, and the tea processing technique of Duyun Maojian was entered into the national intangible cultural heritages list in 2014.
Duyun Maojian tea boasts a bright color, symmetrical shape and fresh taste due to the growing environment in Duyun, Guizhou province. Located in southwestern China, the city enjoys a mild climate and abundant rainfall throughout the year.
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Lusheng:sounds of ethnic culture
The lusheng is a bamboo reed-pipe instrument so integral and intertwined with Miao ethnic culture that it is impossible to separate them.
Its musical origins stretch back to the time of the Three Kingdoms Period (AD 220–280), and even today a skilled lusheng player garners great respect from Miao people.
The lusheng was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006, and with that came a new found interest and popularity for the instrument from people both within and outside Guizhou province.
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Batik painting
The characteristic patterns on Miao clothing are accomplished through a painting skill known as batik.
Also known as wax printing, batik uses wax and blue dye to print patterns on clothing through a process of more than 20 steps, including delicate embroidery after the pattern has been dyed on the clothing.
For many generations, Batik painting has recorded the imaginations and expressions of the Miao people’s wishes for a better life, and in recent years has gained much attention after being listed as an intangible cultural heritage in 2006.
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Yi people's 'oriental tap dance'
Known as the “oriental tap dance”, A Mei Qi Tuo is a unique dance of the Yi ethnic group in Guizhou province.
Literally translated as “dance for the married girl” -- the dance sees Yi women dress in traditional embroidered outfits and dance in unison to express their best wishes to a young bride before she ties the knot.
During the performance, the dancers stand in a line and tap their feet to great a pulsing rhythm, accompanying the beat with songs of blessing.
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Dixi Opera
Anshun city is home to the special culture Dixi. The opera dates back more than 600 years to the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
A major part of the opera is fighting scenes, which were included as a way to remind soldiers working in agriculture during peace time to practice their fighting skills in case of war.
Performers cover their heads with cyan scarfs and wear masks on the foreheads and military uniforms around their waists. With weapons in hand, performers of the opera tell stories through song and dance.
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King Yalu: chants in the hills
King Yalu is a heroic epic of the Miao ethnic group of the Mashan Mountain area in southern Guizhou province.
Yalu refers to ancient kings of the Miao people. The epic tells the stories of 17 brave, wise and knowledgeable kings who led the Miao people to fight against enemies.
The entire epic has been passed down through oral tradition and is usually performed during funerals. The King Yalu epic was also listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2011.
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Kam Grand Choirs
Kam Grand Choirs, or “Gal Laox” in the Dong language, is an indispensable part of Dong people’s culture.
Dong choirs are made up of multiple people singing different harmonies and require no conductor or musical accompaniment.
Performances and competitions of Dong choirs would be arranged on festivals or to welcome honored guests. These occasions are also good chances for young men and women to get to know each other and they may fall in love through singing activities.
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Shiqian Puppetry
Puppetry has a 200 year history in the province and the particular type found in Shiqian county was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006.
Puppets from the area are large and require significant skills to master, according to 84-year-old Fu Zhenghua, an inheritor of puppet shows in the county.
Puppet shows are performed on stages over ten feet wide, enclosed by a piece of blue cloth hanging on four bamboo sticks.
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Miao silver ornaments
In Miao culture, silver is more than just a decoration. It is a symbol of fortune.
In the old days, migrating ancestors of the Miao would exchange their valuables for silver to then forge into ornaments. The more silver ornaments one owned, the wealthier they appeared.
Thus, the Miao have long distinguished themselves by their splendid ornamental jewelry, with Miao girls always adorning themselves in silver from head to toe for festivals, wedding and important occasions.
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Horsetail embroidery of Sui people
Sandu Sui autonomous county in Guizhou province is most well-known for its unique traditional craft – horsetail embroidery.
As the name suggests, the embroidery is actually made from horsetail hair among other materials. The skill was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage item in 2006.
Horses play an important part in Sui ethnic culture, with horse racing horsetail embroidery featuring heavily in festivals and celebrations.
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Medicated baths for Yao ethnic group
The Yao people in remote Gaohua village, Congjiang county, use a special, unique bathing that keeps them clean and healthy in a challenging environment.
Living in the mountains in Guizhou province’s Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture, the villagers have fought against the harsh conditions for centuries.
To dispel the toxins from their bodies, the Yao’s ancestors created a medicated bath by boiling more than 30 kinds of vegetable medicines together.