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Wumeirong

Daur CostumeFolk CustomsHulunbeier, Inner MongoliaBatch 6 (2025)

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Wumeirong, Female, Daur, from Hulunbeier, Inner Mongolia, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Daur Costume (Ⅹ-154). The tradition is documented in Hulunbeier, Inner Mongolia. Within the regional tradition and school record of Daur Costume in Hulunbeier, Inner Mongolia: Daur costume is a system of dress that the Daur people gradually formed in accordance with the geographical environment, climatic conditions, customs and habits, and economic, cultural, and other factors of the regions in which they live. Before the 17th century, fishing and hunting were the traditional production activities of the Daur people, and the raw materials for Daur costume at that time were chosen mainly from animal hides. In the mid-17th century the Daur people migrated south, with part of the population settling in the Nenjiang River valley and in Hulunbuir. After the southward migration agriculture developed rapidly and cultural exchange with other ethnic groups grew ever more frequent, so textiles gradually became another important raw material for Daur costume. Leather trousers were made with the hide side turned outward and the fur facing inward.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Wumeirong is anchored in the documented technical standards of Daur Costume in Hulunbeier, Inner Mongolia. Within the documented technical tradition of Daur Costume in Hulunbeier, Inner Mongolia: Hulunbuir City in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is one of the main areas where Daur costume is distributed. The Daur people have a long history. Everyday garments made of cotton cloth appeared, together with ceremonial dress cut from silk and satin with great attention to style and workmanship, and embroidery gradually became an indispensable ornament on the clothing of Daur women and children. Daur costume in Hulunbuir centers on robe garments. By function it comprises hats, robes, trousers, boots, gloves, and various accessories; by material it falls into two main types, garments of animal hide and garments of textile. Winter leather robes were made from roe-deer hide whose fine underfur had only just grown fully in late autumn and early winter. Spring and autumn leather robes used roe-deer hide taken after the animal had shed its winter underfur in spring and grown new hair. Tall boots were made from tanned hide of a wild animal. Fur hats were sewn from the whole scalp of a roe deer, skinned off and tanned. The Daur people possessed excellent hide-dressing skills. Once dressed, the pelts are soft and of good quality, and garments made from such pelts were not only popular among the Daur themselves but also deeply favored by other northern ethnic groups. The cloth long robes of the Hulunbuir Daur open on the left, with hems reaching the instep, and are mostly blue or dark gray. The formal robe worn over the long gown is long-bodied, with a front opening and wide sleeves, slightly shorter than the gown itself; it is mostly made of silk and satin, with borders of various patterns set along the edges and cuffs. Women's versions emphasize colored patterns, while men's favor dark, plain fabrics. The traditional culture and the modes of production and life of the Daur people have given birth to Daur costume in a great variety of styles. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "A robe-centred costume system": The Daur costume of Hulunbuir centres on the robe, with hats, trousers, boots, gloves and ornaments arranged around it and made of either hide or cloth. "Choosing hide by season": Winter robes use roe hide with the coat just grown in late autumn, spring and autumn robes hide taken after the spring moult; the growth of the hair decides the warmth. "A hat made from a whole head skin": A fur hat is sewn from the untanned whole head skin of a roe deer, hair outward, ears included, with openings left for the wearer’s own ears. "Tall boots of soft leather": Knee-high boots are tanned from soft hide with stiffened soles, keeping out snow and ice; the skill lies in tanning until the skin stays supple.

A robe-centred costume system

The Daur costume of Hulunbuir centres on the robe, with hats, trousers, boots, gloves and ornaments arranged around it and made of either hide or cloth.

Choosing hide by season

Winter robes use roe hide with the coat just grown in late autumn, spring and autumn robes hide taken after the spring moult; the growth of the hair decides the warmth.

A hat made from a whole head skin

A fur hat is sewn from the untanned whole head skin of a roe deer, hair outward, ears included, with openings left for the wearer’s own ears.

Tall boots of soft leather

Knee-high boots are tanned from soft hide with stiffened soles, keeping out snow and ice; the skill lies in tanning until the skin stays supple.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Wumeirong was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Daur Costume, with Hulunbeier, Inner Mongolia as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Daur Costume in Hulunbeier, Inner Mongolia: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2014 (batch 4), with Hulunbeier, Inner Mongolia as its declared area, and Hulunbeier Mass Art Center (Hulunbeier Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Center; Hulunbeier Art Museum) as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

Historical origin

Before the 17th century, fishing and hunting were the traditional production activities of the Daur people, and the raw materials for Daur costume at that time were chosen mainly from animal hides. In the mid-17th century the Daur people migrated south, with part of the population settling in the Nenjiang River valley and in Hulunbuir. After the southward migration agriculture developed rapidly and cultural exchange with other ethnic groups grew ever more frequent, so textiles gradually became another important raw material for Daur costume.

Declared area
Hulunbeier, Inner Mongolia
Safeguarding unit
Hulunbeier Mass Art Center (Hulunbeier Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding Center; Hulunbeier Art Museum)
Inscription batch
Batch 4 (2014)
Item code
Ⅹ-154
Category
Folk Customs

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

BearerDeclared areaRoster codeRelation
WumeirongHulunbeier, Inner Mongolia—This page

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

  1. Wumeirong (Hulunbeier, Inner Mongolia) · China ICH Official Project Archive
  2. Wumeirong · China ICH Official Archive

This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。