I snapped these photos of the Yao people during the Clothes Drying Festival, their most important annual holiday.
The Yao people are an ethnic minority group in China and Vietnam. They were known by imperial scholars for their fine clothing produced with indigo, and for their cultural beliefs which blend Taoism with pre-Taoist folk religion.
A few years ago I was invited to host a short travel series documenting the province of Guangxi. The Clothes Drying Festival was the central feature.
Clothes Drying Festival?
Hanging clothes out to dry sounded underwhelming, not the stuff of festivals. What’s special about drying clothes? And besides, it was raining!
As it turned out, my feeble western mind was not understanding the importance of RITUAL.
The beautiful woven garments of Yao women hold deep significance. By hanging them out to dry, they’re not just using the power of the sun to eradicate insects and mold — they’re also shining the glow of their most treasured possessions down onto the town square.
Next thing I knew, the entire town was partying. Fireworks went off, there was dancing and singing, games and food and weddings. Young women poured rice wine into our mouths, and the piercing shrill of the bagpipe-like “suona” filled the air.
That’s what these guys are playing, and they know they’re killing it.
Of course, intention is what makes any holiday significant. But I was struck by the simplicity of the idea behind all this, drying clothes, and how much joy could snowball out of that simple community activity.
The moral of the story is, by treating a day differently, and by coming together to do something different with your best outfit, you get drastically different results. That’s the power of ritual.
Here are some more photos from the Clothes Drying Festival, as well as a vlog from @monkeyabroad documenting the behind-the-scenes while we produced Go Guilin.
In the nearby Yao village of Huangluo, women pride themselves on their distinctive hair, which is usually between 1 – 2 meters long.
Each year, a hair contest is held at the Clothes Drying Festival. Huangluo women wash their hair in the river, competing to see who has the most luxurious look.
The village chief has done enough for now. During the Clothes Drying Festival, his main responsibility is to smoke the big pipe and look wise.
Two young Yao girls celebrating the Clothes Drying Festival in traditional “Red Yao” dresses.
These two stole my heart. You could tell they were having fun, but they were also a little nervous about all the action. The taller girl was extra encouraging and protective of her younger friend.
Longji Rice Terraces