Huian, a seaside county on the coast of Huidong Peninsula in Quanzhou of Fujian province, is home to a special group of people—Huian Women, who are best known for their unique clothing. Originated from the Minyue culture, Hui’an women's clothing also contains the essence of the central plain and sea cultures. It is kept well alive after over 1,000 years' evolvement and inheritance. Starting f...[Full]

Huian, a seaside county on the coast of Huidong Peninsula in Quanzhou of Fujian province, is home to a special group of people—Huian Women, who are best known for their unique clothing. Originated from the Minyue culture, Hui’an women's clothing also contains the essence of the central plain and sea cultures. It is kept well alive after over 1,000 years' evolvement and inheritance. Starting from the late Ming and early Qing Dynasty, some noticeable changes were made to the clothing, which assumes the basic features of exotic style, unique adornment, color harmony and gorgeous patterns.

Well known for their hard work and kindness, the women do most of the formwork, road repair, and family chores while their husbands are at sea.

The traditional garb of the Huian, a floral pattern kerchief, short jacket, silver waist belt and loose trousers is jokingly referred to as the "feudal head, democratic belly, thrifty jacket, and wasted trousers" costume.

Huian women generally wear kerchiefs and tight bamboo hats on their heads, a close copy of feudal styles, thus "feudal head". The short jackets they wear expose their bellies and waists, representing "democracy" or freedom and also save material for "thrift". Their trouser bottoms are wide, often 40 cm around, which has earned them the moniker of "waste". The joke gained popularity in the 1950s, and is still used today.

There are two types of bamboo hats Huian women wear; one is big, thick and heavy with a slightly rolled up brim, the other is small, thin and light. The hats are usually painted yellow to reflect the sunbeam and protect the women from sunburn.

Young and middle-aged women divide their hair and tie it up above their ears and secure the hair with three combs. Unmarried women will wear fringes. Then the kerchief, usually a floral pattern of green and white blossoms on a white background, is folded into a triangle and tied to their heads. Not only does the kerchief protect the women from sand and rain and keep them warm, it also keeps their hairstyles in place!

The traditional garb of the Huian, a floral pattern kerchief, short jacket, silver waist belt and loose trousers is jokingly referred to as the "feudal head, democratic belly, thrifty jacket, and wasted trousers" costume.

Huian women generally wear kerchiefs and tight bamboo hats on their heads, a close copy of feudal styles, thus "feudal head". The short jackets they wear expose their bellies and waists, representing "democracy" or freedom and also save material for "thrift". Their trouser bottoms are wide, often 40 cm around, which has earned them the moniker of "waste". The joke gained popularity in the 1950s, and is still used today.

There are two types of bamboo hats Huian women wear; one is big, thick and heavy with a slightly rolled up brim, the other is small, thin and light. The hats are usually painted yellow to reflect the sunbeam and protect the women from sunburn.

Young and middle-aged women divide their hair and tie it up above their ears and secure the hair with three combs. Unmarried women will wear fringes. Then the kerchief, usually a floral pattern of green and white blossoms on a white background, is folded into a triangle and tied to their heads. Not only does the kerchief protect the women from sand and rain and keep them warm, it also keeps their hairstyles in place!

The "wasteful" trousers are made of nylon or cloth. Most women wear loose trousers with red or blue plastic belts. Married women hang anywhere from one to eight silver threads on their belts, the closer to eight, the better. The trousers are designed with a small waistline and a broad hipline, beautiful and easy to work in.

Some of the elder women have gold teeth, but the custom is fading in younger generations. In earlier times, Huian women would wear heavy headpieces that weighed up to 10 kg, long jackets and veils to cover their faces. 

Huian women's clothing is such an unusual mix that scholars have tried to trace each article's origins. The bamboo hats are similar to those worn by the Li and Jing ethnic groups. The short jacket can be traced to the Dai people, and the trousers are very similar to those worn by the Shui people. Because Huian women twist their hair into a "butterfly" style for festivals, some believe they have also had historical connections with the Baiyue people, who used butterfly symbols on their ancient totems.

Huian Women whose customs have attracted the attention of Chinese and foreign scholars, as well as the imaginations of tourists.[Close]

Huian, a seaside county on the coast of Huidong Peninsula in Quanzhou of Fujian province, is home to a special group of people—Huian Women, who are best known for their unique clothing. Originated from the Minyue culture, Hui’an women's clothing also contains the essence of the central plain and sea cultures. It is kept well alive after over 1,000 years' evolvement and inheritance. Starting f...[Full]