The Seven-Star Shawl of the Naxi Ethnic Group

The Seven-Star Shawl of the Naxi Ethnic Group

　　In modern times, the traditional clothing of Naxi men in Lijiang has been largely similar to that of the neighboring Han Chinese. Generally speaking, young rural Naxi men working in the fields often wear a buttoned, front-opening tunic with a row of cloth buttons, an outer sheepskin vest, long trousers, and locally made cloth shoes. They go bareheaded or wear a headcloth (commonly referred to as a "head wrap"), with a belt tied around the waist; in daily life or when going to market, they often wear Han-style long cloth robes and felt hats. The attire of Naxi women, however, distinctly retains ethnic characteristics. They wear a sweatshirt as an undergarment, a mid-layer robe with a right-side opening, wide waist, and large sleeves — the front panel reaching the knees and the back panel reaching the shins — topped with a woolen or cloth vest. They wear long trousers (with unfinished hems), ankle ties, and boat-shaped embroidered shoes with patterned fabric or velvet uppers and leather soles. Socks or foot wraps are only worn during festivals or special occasions. Their clothing is mostly blue, white, or cyan, with embroidered lace on the collar, cuffs, and front plackets. A pleated waistband is tied around the waist. When working in the fields or visiting relatives and friends, women also put on a sheepskin shawl. The making of this shawl is quite intricate: the upper back is lined with black velveteen or a black wool scarf, beneath which seven pairs of leather tassels are attached to seven embroidered small round cloth loops arranged in a row (earlier versions of the women’s shawls also featured two larger embroidered round cloth loops on the shoulders representing the sun and moon). This “stars and moon” shawl symbolizes the diligence of Naxi women. Married women wear their hair in a bun on top of the head and don a round gauze headscarf (called a “gǔjǐng”); unmarried girls coil their braids at the back of the head and wear cloth headscarves or small black velvet caps. A minority of women from mountainous areas typically wear linen dresses and skirts.

　　The clothing of the Naxi people on the Yunnan side of Lugu Lake differs markedly from that of the Naxi in Lijiang. Both boys and girls under the age of 13 wear long robes. It is only after turning 13 and undergoing the coming-of-age ceremony (at which girls begin wearing skirts and boys start wearing trousers) that they switch to adult attire. Adult Naxi women favor red, blue, or purple tops trimmed with colorful cloth strips and adorned with double rows of buttons, paired with double-layered pleated skirts in light blue or white linings that reach the top of the feet. They also like to wear red or yellow waistbands and blue cloth embroidered shoes. Young men either braid their hair into small pigtails, worn coiled on top of the head or hanging down the back, while older men wear handmade blue cloth caps or fur hats. They have a fondness for Tibetan attire, such as wearing Tibetan felt hats, Tibetan boots, and large copper or silver earrings, giving them a valiant and heroic appearance.

　　After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the traditional clothing of the Naxi in Lijiang underwent significant changes, trending toward more fabric-efficient designs suitable for labor and daily work, and becoming largely similar to Han Chinese attire — though girls generally still have a set of traditional ethnic clothing. Meanwhile, the clothing of the Naxi by Lugu Lake has seen relatively little change.