The Favorite of De'ang Girls-Waist Hoops

Southwest China's Yunnan Province is home to many ethnic minority groups, whose beautiful and dazzling costumes, unique lifestyles, colorful festivals and exotic marriage customs attract a significant number of visitors. One such minority group is the De'ang minority group, which is scattered in Dehong Region in the province's southwestern part. The most striking feature of De'ang people's costumes is the waist hoops worn by De'ang girls.

Meaning of the Waist Hoops

According to De'ang customs, a grown-up girl has to wear several or dozens of waist hoops around the waist between her black corset and little skirt. Although most hoops are woven with vine stripes, there are also hoops whose back part is made with spiral silver wires. Hoops of different sizes are mostly painted colors such as red, black or green, and some are carved with various design patterns, or covered with a silver or aluminum wrapper. When a De'ang girl walks, the hoops move with her body, producing pleasant sounds and looking very beautiful.