Yao Triangle Hat

Yao Triangle Hat

　　The hats worn by Yao women are all triangular. The triangle hat is constructed with a frame made of bamboo strips, then wrapped around the frame with a piece of white cloth and secured with ropes. A square blue cloth embroidered with floral patterns is then draped from the back to the front to complete the hat.

　　Before putting on the hat, the hair is combed smooth using lard and beeswax. Once the hat is on, the hair and the hat are firmly stuck together to prevent the hat from falling off in the wind or while bending over to work. The hat is not easily removed once worn, as both lard and beeswax are hard to come by, so some women never wash their hair in their lifetime. Women with better living conditions and resources take off the hat twice a month. After removing it, they push their long hair backward, light a fire at their back, slowly melt the hair wax, and then comb their hair smooth. Those without such means may go years without taking off their hats.

　　Wearing these tall and heavy hats makes it very inconvenient—and unhygienic—to chop wood or work in the fields, such as transplanting rice seedlings. After the liberation, the custom of wearing high triangle hats has largely changed, and such hats can now only be seen on the heads of elderly women in remote areas. Nowadays, most Yao women prefer to cover their heads with patterned square scarves or flower-printed towels.