Next Monba
Distribution and Population:The Miao ethnic minority has a population of 8,940,116 which is larger than most of minority groups in China. After immigration in a long history, today they live mainly in Guizhou, Yunnan, Hunan, Hubei, Hainan Provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Prefecture. They are divided into several branches, such as Black Hmong, White Hmong, Striped Hmong, etc.
Language:
The Miao language, which belongs to the Miao-Yao group of the Sino-Tibetan phylum, has developed into three dialects: the dialect of western Hunan Province, the one of eastern Guizhou Province and the one of ChuanQianDian (Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan). Due to a long time living with the Han and other people, they can also speak the Chinese, Dong and Zhuang languages. They have been writing their own Miao language based on Latin since 1956.
Religion:
The Miao people believe that everything in nature has a spirit, which incombination are mighty enough to control their lives. Every time there are disasters, they will invite a wizard to perform ceremonies designed to drive out the devil ghost. They worship their ancestors so much that memorial ceremonies are very grand. Sacrifices such as wine, meat, and glutinous rice are costly. Some Miao also believe in Catholicism or other Christian religions.
Food and Food Culture:
The staple food of the Miao ethnic minority is rice. Other dishes are meat and acidic soups. Pickled vegetables, hot seasonings and home-made wine are common at the table. Glutinous rice becomes a must during festivals and celebrations.
Crafts:
The Miao people are very skilled at handicrafts, such as embroidering, weaving, paper-cutting, batik, and jewelry casting. The Miao embroidery and silver jewelry are delicate and beautiful. From hats, collars, and cuffs to skirts and baby carriers, the patterns on their clothes are extremely colorful, complicated but with clean lines. Girls of around seven will learn embroidering from mothers and sisters, and when they become teenagers, they are quite deft.
Clothes:
Clothes of the Miao ethnic minority are diverse across regions. Men wear short coats and trousers, while women decorate themselves with very dainty and dazzling skirts and jewels. On their skirts, there are many patterns taking themes from life such as flowers, birds, etc. One of the most attractive, pleated skirts has as many as forty layers!
Festivals:
Divided by regions, the Miao people celebrate their festivals at different times, but they all have many, like the Dragon Boat Festival, the Huashan Festival, the Pure Brightness and the New Rice Tasting Festival (Chixin Jie). Among these, the Miao Spring Festival is the most important one that is held during the lunar ninth to the eleventh month.
The New Rice Tasting Festival is worth mentioning. To express their gratitude for the harvest, they will stream the newly ripe rice, brew wine with new rice, cook dishes with newly-picked vegetables and freshly caught fish.
The Lusheng dance is a unique musical performance of the Miao ethnic minority during nearly every celebration. While playing the lusheng, a kind of wind instrument, they dance in demanding patterns, and sing to each other.
Recommended Video Clips:
Miao Minority Dance
Bagpipe Dance of Miao Ethnic Group
Dance During Miao Festival
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Travelers' Voices on Miao Nationality
1.
Nov. 2,2009 13:28 Reply
Mr.Yeng(USA) said:
I don't really get it, I know that there is Hmong White, Hmong Stripe, and Hmong Green??? But I never knew something exist as Hmong Black? Is it just the way we are label depending on how we dialect our meanings? Or is it something else too? Please, if anyone has any information about this topic or question email me at yeng09@live.com because I would like to know what's the difference and what we really are... Are we chinese related or just completely diverse??? It's sad hmong people in the US barely announce anything relating to chinese culture but more into thai people culture so it kind of have a difference there and questioning that need to be answer. I want to know if anyone can help to distinguish hmong and miao because there are a lot of explaination to do for our culture and people.
2.
Oct. 20,2009 07:22 Reply
Mr.thao(USA ) said:
its common sense that we are not natives of laos, vietnam, or thailand..we never had a written language so nothing was ever documented of where were from or what we've done. all we knew was what the elders told us of us being from china. now were living in the USA and we have the education and the knowledge to study and research of our history and where were from and we did just that..we know we are from the miao people. hmong and miao is the same people and we both call ourselves hmong but miao is just what others call us and some hmong just got used to it and named there selves miao. when we lived in laos, the laos people named us meo but us that are from laos never called each other meo;it was just what they called us. in our language we have names for other groups of people too. if they were to come live amongst us and we call them by the name we have for them one day they might call themselves that
3.
Apr. 10,2009 09:34 Reply
Mr.Her(China) said:
Upon reading books from many scholors, I learned and confirmed that Chi You, was the Hmong/Miao (preferred-Hmong) Emperor. Even history showed that Chi You (the Hmong Emperor) defeated Huangdi/Yuandi defeated approximately 4000 to 4500 years ago, his Hmong people still alive and will still be alive forever. May God bless Chi You's people (the Hmong) until their designated destination is reached, his enomies, and the world...amend.
May. 17,2009 01:01
Mr.Hmong(USA) replied:
Mr.Her, are you really from China and your last name is Her?? myself is Her too..
Oct. 19,2009 10:54
Mrs.Xiong(USA) replied:
Well not exactly...Miao is a pejorative term used by the Chinese about many Indigenous people of southern China. Historically it has included many different people including the Hmong, Yao, Akha and etc.. Today the term has become synonymous with the Hmong. One has to be careful thought because to Hmong people all the people considered by the Chinese to be Hmong would not necessarily be Hmong. They might today still by Yao, or another group. There is no one Hmong culture. There is a great diversity of Hmong people on a continuum which Hmong people in the US are a part of on one end, to people that are totally unrecognizable the Hmong of Laos/Thailand/USA. Even the Hmong in Vietnam are distinct, and likewise that diversity is greatly exacerbated throughout China. Hmong people have lived as a tribal people for thousands of years, fitting in with each environment around them and likewise their cultures have become so diverse. However, in the Hmong language, which is its own distinct language family, the word for Hmong people (which means the people, not free) is Hmong not Miao. Miao is a Chinese word.
4.
Aug. 14,2009 00:36 Reply
Mr.wangsee chang(Laos) said:
I would like to know the roots of Mong/Hmong come from and either Miao original, I understand that Hmong and Miao fimiliar but, do you know the word "Hmong" it mean?. hmong mean that no any cousin, no any relative and freedom.
Sep. 30,2009 16:49
Mrs.hmoob her(usa) replied:
well not exact but i heard that "hmong" meant free people.
5.
Sep. 27,2009 11:36 Reply
Ms.Vang(USA) said:
To Mr. Zhang
You said that you know people in Guangxi. Do you know any woman that can sew hmong chinese clothes? If you do, will you please email me their name and phone number. I want to order some hmong chinese clothes but don't know any one in Guangxi. My email is yvang5282@yahoo.com.
6.
Sep. 24,2009 22:09 Reply
Ms.Panhia Chang(USA) said:
I am absolutely confused, but will take a journey to find out our orgins and to find out the truth.
7.
Jul. 30,2009 21:00 Reply
Mrs.k said:
Wow... I would love to visit Guizhou someday...to trace back my orgins.
8.
Feb. 6,2009 18:27 Reply
Mrs.Caroline(USA) said:
Would there be anyway to determine if a child adopted from Rongxian County, Guangxi is Miao or Hmong?
Feb. 9,2009 00:45
Ms.Evelyn(China) replied:
Hmong is called by Miao People themselves. Chinese mandarin calls Hmong as Miao. So, they are the same.
Feb. 17,2009 23:59
Mr.Lauj(USA) replied:
Ms.Evelyn (china), Miao is a name that was given to the Hmong by the Chinese. The Hmong however never accpeted the given name. We prefer to call ourselves HMONG.
Jul. 21,2009 15:04
Mr.Zhang(USA) replied:
Mrs. Caroline, Miao or Hmong is the same, it's just the away other people pronouce the word. Since some people can't pronouce it right, they said Miao. Miao in Guangxi are 100% hmong, because I know people who lives in Guangxi. Most people who lives in Guangxi are consider black hmong. We hmong are classify by dress code. Did you adopted a child from Guangxi? If you did, I am greatly appreciated for giving that child opportunity lives in a better life. Anymore question, post up.
9.
Apr. 25,2009 12:43 Reply
Mr.yajtub(USA) said:
China is a melting pot like the U.S.A. Han is the Majority and many others manority. a lot of people who convert to Han are from manority. I went to china 2005 and met a professor, he's tribe use to be Leo who lives near Korea. He told me many tribe has disappear to be han including his. I would said according to miao history, a lot of miao has convert to be han due to poverty and war just like other minority group. if you can trace miao history back to upper north of beijing during chiyou tribe to yellow river during miao kingdom to miao in Guizhou. you can see how far miao history has come include us living in the US today.
10.
Apr. 22,2009 17:10 Reply
Ms.lee(USA) said:
Hmong/Miao people are the same ethnic group. In America they are known as the HMong and in China they are call Miao, my father said it is believe that the chinese could not pronounce our name and call us Miao.