Miao Hundred Birds Robe

Miao Hundred Birds Robe

　　The Miao Hundred Birds Robe is traditionally made in over 20 natural villages across multiple townships, including Songlong, Yahuai, Yanggao, Shagao, and Shangcongpailu in Yahuai Township of Danzhai County, as well as Dadi in Leishan County, Xinhua in Rongjiang County, and Dujiang in Sandu County. This remote area features high mountains and steep slopes with limited transportation, preserving ancient and rustic folk customs.

　　The origin of the “Hundred Birds Robe” can be traced back to ancient Miao history. The Miao creation myth “Twelve Eggs” tells the story of the butterfly mother emerging from a maple tree, who then laid twelve eggs. These eggs were hatched by the mythical bird Jiyu into all things in nature and humankind. Thus, the Miao people revere birds as their ancestors. During the “Drum Burial Festival,” a major ancestor worship ceremony in this region, the chief officiant wears the Hundred Birds Robe, while “flags” made from long pieces of batik cloth and brocade are covered in bird patterns, along with a ceremonial tree adorned with white bird feathers.

　　The art of the Hundred Birds Robe is related to the ancient bird totems of the Miao people. A subgroup of the Miao living in Danzhai County refers to themselves as “Ganao,” meaning the “bird tribe.” They are descendants of the “feathered tribe” that worshipped birds within the ancient Chiyou tribal confederation. In the third year of the Zhenguan era during the Tang Dynasty, the Miao leader Xie Yuanchen from southeastern Guizhou wore the “Hundred Birds Robe” when paying tribute to Emperor Taizong of Tang. His delegation was dressed in “flowered garments and bird patterns,” astonishing the people of Chang’an. Emperor Taizong ordered the court painter Yan Lide and others to create a painting based on this event, known as the “Wang Hui Tu” (Picture of Tributary States), which provides one of the earliest documented references to the Hundred Birds Robe.

　　The Hundred Birds Robe is a long embroidered garment composed of more than ten sections: the back, shoulders, cuffs, chest, back panel, front and back flaps, and feather-tipped hem. The entire robe integrates various hand-embroidery techniques including flat embroidery, pile embroidery, knot embroidery, thread-breaking embroidery, couching stitch, plaited embroidery, and horsehair embroidery. It takes three to five years to complete. It is adorned with colorful patterns embroidered using red, yellow, blue, black, and white silk threads—each pattern depicting one or several stylized birds. The base fabric is typically coarse homespun cloth, with each section featuring a cocoon silk white background. The shapes of the birds in the designs vary greatly, with some being abstract or geometric.

　　The traditional Hundred Birds Robe comes in both men’s and women’s styles, both collarless. In the Miao language, they are called “Ouhuanao” (women’s robe) and “Ouhuanyong” (men’s robe). The entire garment is embroidered with colorful bird patterns in various forms. The women’s robe is composed of several strips of “bird dragons” on the front and back. The men’s robe features patterns such as ox dragons or snake dragons, with rows of bird feathers arranged along the hem. Men wearing this style often wrap their heads with dark blue cloth, further secured with a silver belt adorned with two rows of silver spikes, tied at the back of the head with trailing ribbons that extend past the hips. The upper garment is a loose, collarless, front-buttoned tunic with wide, straight sleeves forming a 90-degree angle with the body. The lower hem is sewn to a skirt of flowing ribbons, held only by edge ties. There are no buttons on the front; aside from the cuffs decorated with indigo-blue cloth, the whole robe is embroidered, and some are even fully woven with brocade. The embroidered versions are considered the finest. The embroidery pattern features a diagonally placed square frame at the center of the back, containing either a sun symbol or a circular dragon motif in the middle, with maple leaf or butterfly patterns at the corners. The outer corners of the frame show phoenix-headed dragon bodies or other fantastical dragon images, while the sleeves mostly display circular dragon motifs, along with various flying birds or mythical animal patterns.

　　The Hundred Birds Robe features rich, primitive, and rustic patterns. Its color scheme is based on green satin, accented with orange-red, black, light yellow, and white floral decorations, making it a masterpiece among Miao garments. This style of clothing is traditionally worn by the Lusheng players in the ceremonial guard during the ancestor worship festival—the Drum Burial Festival. Later, it also came to be used during New Year celebrations and other festive occasions.

　　It has been included in the second batch of Guizhou Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection List.