Yi people's hoop hat

Last updated 2026-11-14 — The Yi people living in the Baila Mountain area of Luoping County refer to themselves as the Gepu Yi, and the most distinctive part of their traditional attire is the hoop hat. The Gepu Yi’s hoop hat is strikingly bright red, uniquely vibrant, and about five inches tall. During its making, bamboo strips are first woven into a cylindrical shape, then reinforced and stitched together inside and out with a hard black fabric. A two-inch-wide strip of black cloth is sewn securely in the middle as the top band; the outer layer is covered with a layer of either red golden velvet or red corduroy, over which is sewn an embroidered strip about three inches wide that drapes down to the knees. Except during weddings when it is untied, this strip is usually tied to the hoop hat. The upper and lower rims of the hoop hat are studded with pointed studs, while the lower edge is adorned with red tassels. In the center are large and small pom-poms made of red and green yarns, giving it a truly unique appearance. In Yikaoke Village, Zhonghe Village Committee, Huancheng Township, Luoping County, Tian Yuncai, a 79-year-old folk singer, told the following story: A long time ago, there was a young man named Ahei and a girl named Axiang who were in love. One day, while they were secretly meeting behind the village, a sudden heavy rainstorm struck, and in the blink of an eye, the ground was flooded. The two held hands and ran up the mountain, but the floodwaters rose along with their steps. By the time they reached the mountaintop, the water had risen there too. They took shelter in a hollow tree, which then floated away on the torrent. They drifted for days and nights before the hollow tree got caught on a cliff. Ahei poked his head out of the hollow to look around, felt dizzy, and fell into the water. When the water receded, Axiang woke up to find Ahei gone. She called out desperately and finally heard Ahei’s voice echoing from the opposite mountain. She ran and shouted toward the sound, descended into the valley, and attempted to cross a stream, but unfortunately slipped and fell into the water. She floated downstream for a while before grabbing hold of a bamboo pole on the bank and crawling ashore, only to faint. When she woke up, her body was weak and limp. In the distance, she heard Ahei calling her. She tried to respond, but her voice was hoarse, audible only to herself. Ahei’s calls grew alternately distant and near. Axiang understood what was happening but couldn’t reply. In desperation, she came up with an idea. She picked up a bamboo pole and wove it into a large circle, then took the red scarf tied around her head, laid it flat on the bamboo ring, and placed it on her head. But whenever the wind blew, the red scarf would blow off the ring. Axiang then tore off several vines, tied small stones to them, and hung them around the red scarf. She then placed the bamboo ring on her head and slowly climbed up a slope to stand atop a large rock. Ahei spotted the red scarf and finally found Axiang. When Ahei and Axiang got married, Axiang wore a hoop hat on her head, which Ahei decorated with fresh flowers. With the hoop hat on, Axiang looked more beautiful than the sunset clouds. Since then, the hoop hat has been passed down through generations. To make it more durable, some changes were made: the bamboo was replaced with bamboo strips, the fresh flowers with pom-poms made of red and green yarn, the small stones with tiny beads, and the vines with carefully embroidered strips of cloth.