What is Miao embroidery? Some say it's exquisite, complex, with bold colors, hidden deep in the mountains, more luxurious than high-end custom-made clothes, a stunning piece of art that reaches the pinnacle of beauty.

With cloth as paper, thread as ink, and needles as pens, Miao women embroider birds, insects, fish, and flying objects into their work, creating historical fragments that are passed down from generation to generation. This is what Miao embroidery is all about.

The Origin of Miao Embroidery

According to legend, during the migration of the Miao people, a female leader named Lan Juan came up with the idea of using colorful threads to record her journey. She embroidered yellow threads on her clothing across the Yellow River, blue threads across the Yangtze River, and even marked her way through mountains and rivers. By the time she arrived at her final destination, her entire body was covered in embroidery. From then on, when Miao girls got married, they would wear handmade dresses full of embroidery to remember their homeland, honor their ancestors, and carry on the beauty of their heritage.

Inheritance of Miao Embroidery

Wearing these dresses was like having their ancestors' souls inhabit them. The dresses symbolized their status and happiness in life, and even represented the prosperity of their tribe.Miao embroidery has been passed down from generation to generation. A woman would spend her entire life creating one perfect dress for herself without considering the cost. She would carefully embroider vast landscapes and eternal time onto the dress. Through her needlework, she expressed not only the beauty of the patterns but also her expectations for love and life.Girls from the Miao family start learning embroidery and making traditional handicrafts from around the age of seven or eight. They learn from their mothers and elders, passing down skills from one generation to the next through word of mouth. By the time they reach 14 or 15 years old, they have mastered the craft. Then throughout their lives, they will continue to use needle and thread.

The whole process of Miao embroidery starts with weaving cloth before moving on to opening weave holes, warping, tensioning, dyeing cloth, and finally embroidering. According to tradition among Miao ancestors, singing while embroidering is the most complete form of Miao embroidery.

The bold color choices, exaggerated and vivid patterns, symmetrical and harmonious designs all combine to create a unique and exquisite style of embroidery known as Miao embroidery. Although it originated from ancient times, it has evolved over time with different clans and tribes adding their own unique techniques to the art form. However, all of these techniques share a common theme: emotion.

Behind every piece of embroidery lies a real soul that is free and spontaneous. They draw inspiration from nature and create whatever comes to mind without trying to replicate or imitate anything. They embroider according to what they see – mountains become mountains, water becomes water – resulting in an endless variety of patterns that are both intricate and lifelike.

The Miao people believe that their ancestors in heaven will always watch over every stitch and knot they make in their embroidery. If they do not do a good job, they may face punishment from their ancestors. This belief gives Miao embroidery an enduring power that allows them to create beautiful garments that surpass even high-end custom-made clothes.