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Who are the Miao?

The Miao people are an ethnic group inhabiting mainly in China and southeast Asia. Over the past several thousand years, they have migrated numerous times throughout China, and these journeys are reflected in their unique handmade embroidery, silver jewelry, and batik artwork. Reasons for this movement varied a lot, but wars were the main cause.

The first big migration

Over 5,000 years ago, the Miao resided in the Yellow River and Yangtze River areas of central China. Chi You, a brave soldier, was their headman. Legend has it that he had a pair of horns projecting from his copper head, and his forehead was as strong as iron. The first law in China is the criminal law Chi You created in his tribe.

Chi You led the Miao to victory over many tribes. They were so clever that they could make various kinds of weapons, like swords, arrows, and spears.

However in a severe war against another big tribe, Chi you and his people were crushed. After he was killed, his body and head were buried in two places far apart. Like Miao stories say, the first maple tree was from his blood.

Chi You was dead, however his soul and story even touched the heart of his opponents, who drew his picture on their flags to inspire their soldiers.Afterward, he was respected as the god of war by the Chinese emperors.

Today the Miao commemorate Chi You by wearing a silver headdress decorated with silver horns. And a maple tree is thought to be a special totem in the Miao areas.

After Chi You died, some Miao groups were seized and merged into the Chinese Han nationality. However the majority of Miao had to abandon their home and migrated to the south of China.

Continued movement

Throughout most of Chinese history, the Han nationality has been the most powerful and has generally dominated the whole country. As minority group, the Miao were always persecuted and suppressed by the Han emperors and local officials. Due to wars and persecution, the Miao had to persistently move throughout China.

The Miao people started to reside in the mountainous areas of southern and southwestern China as early as 2,000 years ago. 

Then just over 700 years ago, some Miao people moved to the countries of southeast Asia, like Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. With the end of the Vietnam War in the 1970's, some homeless Miao people escaped to America and Europe. Today about 280,000 Miao people live in western countries.

Today

Despite widespread migration, the Miao have kept their unique culture and tradition alive to this day.

They don't have historical texts, so they have invented a special way to remember the past----embroidery. Once you check their embroidery carefully, you will know that each embroidered piece has a meaning relating to their culture, history, and religion.

C. Liu has been studying interesting Miao culture for a few years. She sometimes supports the work of some Miao silversmiths. Go to her website to learn more about Miao culture and see fine Miao silver jewelry here.

melkay Current Events Chinese Culture, chinese history, Miao culture, Miao migration history, Miao silver jewelry, Miao silver ornaments, pendants, silver charm bracelet, silver earrings, silver rings

Suiren, Fuxi and Shennong are known as the Three Sage Kings. They are the leaders of their time and they made many contributions and sacrifices to improve the lives of the people of ancient China.

Suiren was best remembered for discovering how to make fire by drilling wood. It allowed mankind to eat cooked food, and use fire to keep warm during the colder months and to ward off wild animals.

Many people remember Fuxi for creating the Bagua or Eight Trigram which became the basis of the Yi Qing or the Book of Changes. However not many remember that he taught people to domesticate animals and lay traps to catch fish, birds and other wild animals. Even lesser people know that he invented marriage and the laws that governs it as well a 35 strings musical instrument.

Shennong greatest contribution was teaching people to farm and for inventing many farming aids. He taught the people to grow rice, wheat, beans etc and invented barter trading. He also invested a 5 strings musical instrument.

Shennong risked his life by tasting hundreds of berries to seek remedies for illnesses. Despite being poisoned on many occasions, he carried on. One of the berries eventually took his life.

After Shennong, come Huangdi, Zhuanxu, Diku, Yao and Shun. They were collectively known as the Five Legendary Emperors.

Huangdi was a good leader. He knows how to maximize the ability of those around him to rule the country and come out with innovations that benefit his people.

Many contributions were credited to Huangdi. They include the development of a symbol based written language which became the foundation of the present day Chinese language. He also commissioned the compilation of, The Yellow Emperor’s Medicine Classic?as well as the Farmer’s Calendar which aided greatly in agriculture.

Huangdi advocated peace and avoided war. During his reign, the people enjoyed peace and prosperity and it ushered in the age of civilization for the Chinese people.

Zhuanzu was not Huangdi’s son but he was chosen over Huangdi’s other son because of his ability. He is best remembered for bring law and order to his people and for concentrating power within the central authority.

Diku who succeeded Zhuanxu was a benevolent king. He was also the great grandson of Huangdi. Diku reorganized the government and created new ministries with clearly specified duties. They include the ministry of Land, Forestry, Water, Minerals and Fire. His other contribution included improving the Farmer’s calendar system.  

Diku’s son Yao succeeded him. Like his father he was benevolent and industrious. He made some major changes to the calendar and altered the timing of planting that greatly increase the yield.

Yao was followed by Shun, his son in law. Shun was a filial son and this is despite the fact that he was ill-treated by his step mother and father. This virtue earned him a lot of fame and soon Yao came to know about it. He summoned Shun to his court and became his trusted assistant. He later married Yao’s daughter.

Shun made many organizational changes. For example he divided the country into 12 states each with their own administrator. He also set the department of farming, music, rites, works, water and land. For the dukes and princes, he drafted many rules and regulations including the five rules of etiquette.   

Shun was the last of the Five Legendary Kings. After Shun come Yu who founded the Xia dynasty. Today we remember Yu most for his skills in controlling flooding that wreak havoc on his people.

melkay Current Events bagua, chinese calendar, chinese history, jia zi, xia calendar