She Costume
01 · Historical Records
The origins of She ethnic costume are inseparable from the long migrations of the She people through the borderlands where Fujian, Zhejiang, and Guangdong provinces meet. The She villages around Luoyuan County and Lianjiang took shape as settled communities in the late Yuan and early Ming period, and thereafter lived intermingled with Han villages for generations; the older costume forms retained earlier styles while continually absorbing the sewing techniques and new fabrics of neighboring villages. Women's dress is marked from head to foot by the form of the phoenix, the most distinctive feature of this branch; this understanding accords with the She tradition, attested since antiquity, of honoring women and regarding them as princesses and phoenixes, so that the entire ensemble, from headdress to shoes, converges on the outline of the phoenix.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The main characteristics of She ethnic costume are most evident in women's dress. Since antiquity the She have honored women, regarding them as princesses and phoenixes; accordingly, phoenix motifs run through the whole garment, and the headdress too displays the overall outline of a phoenix. Every part of the ensemble expresses the auspicious meaning of the phoenix, hence the common name "phoenix dress" (fenghuang zhuang). She women's dress is mainly transmitted in all the She natural villages of Luoyuan County and Lianjiang County in Fujian Province, as well as in southern Fuzhou and Ningde. It consists of seven parts: an upper garment, a skirt, a water towel, a hand towel, an apron skirt, leg bindings, and shoes; in addition there are six kinds of ornaments: the phoenix crown, earyang (earrings), flat buckles, bracelets, anklets, and rings.
Assembling the phoenix headdress
The headdress follows the outline of a phoenix and changes with the wearer's marital stage, from girl to betrothed to married woman.
The seven matched pieces of the women's outfit
Seven garments and six ornaments make up the women's outfit, and each must be worn in its proper order to form a complete set.
Dressing for the wedding
At betrothal and wedding the ornaments are matched in pairs and the apron is tied outside the skirt to hold the waist.
Holding the old style while varying the finish
The old silhouette is kept while edging, stitching and embroidery are reworked for brighter colour and better wear.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Correspondingly, She women's hairstyles are divided into three types: the hairstyle of unmarried girls, that of engaged or soon-to-be-engaged young women, and that of married women.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The She women's dress of Huokou carries on the ancient style of the late Yuan and early Ming period, and its influence extends to the four areas of Minhou, Jin'an, Lianjiang, and Luoyuan (Baita, Xilan, Feizhu, and other townships) and to parts of surrounding townships, exerting a great influence on the She region as a whole. The She women's dress of Huokou is a concrete expression of ancient She culture; it reflects the folk customs of the She people and has considerable value for research in folklore, sociology, and history and culture. Lan Quchai (recorded in the official archives of the associated inheritor): Male, She ethnicity, born in August 1964, from Luoyuan County, Fujian Province. While inheriting traditional craftsmanship and preserving the ancient style, he has innovated in edge finishing, rolled seams, and hand embroidery, so that the costumes he produces combine a plain antique form, flowing lines, bright colors, and sturdiness. His works have been collected by numerous She costume exhibition halls (museums) across the country and were once selected as performance costumes for the National Traditional Ethnic Sports Games. He is a representative inheritor of She ethnic costume, a national-level intangible cultural heritage item in the fifth national-level batch. He attaches importance to the transmission of She ethnic costume, eagerly teaching the craft to younger generations and training successors.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Lanquchai 05-3046
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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