With a copper knife, beeswax and indigo, Miao women paint cloth that cracks into one-of-a-kind 'ice patterns.' We trace China's oldest wax-resist craft.
For China's Miao women, silver is not jewellery but a wearable epic. We explore the 30-step craft, the buffalo-horn crowns and the totems of a migrating people.
A full Miao silver outfit can weigh over 10 kilograms and represent a family's savings. Inside the horned crowns, the hammering villages, and what the motifs mean.
Miao batik in Danzhai, Guizhou uses a copper knife, hot beeswax and indigo vats. A national intangible heritage craft where the accidental crack lines are the signature.
In Taijiang, Guizhou, the Miao Sisters' Meal Festival uses coloured rice, silver headdresses and hidden tokens to conduct courtship. Called Asia's oldest Valentine's Day.