----In the remote mountains at the juncture of
Liuzhi, Zhijin and Nayong counties in western
Guizhou Province, there are twelve very
unusual villages in which live the Qing Miao,
one of China's ethnic minorities. Both the men
and the women wear their and their ancestors'
hair in a large bun attached to a long wooden
horn. They are known as "Long-
Horned Miao".
----Very few people have visited the
villages. In 1995 when Dr. John
Gjestrum, a Norwegian scholar,
came to the village, he was excited
by the peculiar customs and
civilization as well as the
uncontaminated ecological
environment. Two years later, the
governments of China and Norway
agreed to build the first Asian national
ecological museum here, the China Guizhou Liuzhi Suoga Museum of Ecology.
----The garments of the Long-Horned Miao women are all very similar. They wear batik blouses with blue flowers dyed on white and a black pleated skirt embedded with red and white embroidered ribbons. On the back a long piece of cross-stitch work draped down to the brim of the skirt. On the front there is a blue woolen pinafore. They have nothing shiny on them. The only "glittering thing" is the large wooden horn on the head. Their clothing are more simple and plain than their sister group in the southeast of the province, who decorate themselves all over with silver ornaments. Nevertheless, their clothing is exceptionally unique. When they are fully dressed up, they have a large hair bun weighing several kilograms on their heads. To hold the weight, they need to support the waist with both hands. Before moving forwards, they first move the hips, with the feet following, while shaking the hands at the same time. With slow steps and swaying waists, making their walk very attractive. Viewed from a distance, their movements of the body and the gestures are as graceful as those of the ancient noble ladies from the imperial palace.