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The Miao people living in southwestern China are well known for their colorful costumes featuring glistening silver necklaces and beautiful embroidery. Including those two art forms, they also have a beautiful tin embroidery art.

To make this art, artists embroider with tin threads and tin slices. A piece of tin is almost as thin as a piece of paper. Scissor are used to cut the tin slices into thin tin lines which are 18 cm long and 1 mm wide.

They first draw the outline of a design with a cotton thread on a piece of navy blue cloth, then create this design with a thin tin thread. Then the four different colorful silk threads are used to embroider flower patterns on the black space.

Tin embroidery is usually adorned on women’s skirts and the back of their shirts.

On the skirts, two big pieces of tin embroidery are decorated on the front and the back. The entire area of the front is about 44 × 17 cm. The tin embroidered part is at 27 cm in length, and 14cm in width. The embroidery pattern includes nine different units from bottom to top.

The first unit has “X” patterns, which look like flowers but actually symbolize rivers, valleys, and mountains. The second unit has “V” patterns, which look like saddles for oxen but actually are the symbols of tools used by the locals. Often used as offerings in sacrificial ceremonies, oxen are also a symbol of power in the Miao society.

Patterns in the third unit sport scales which stand for fairness and equality. The Miao believe in an equal society and wish to have plenty of food and other commodities.

Designs in the fourth unit feature children’s heads, which stand for descendants.

The fifth unit is in the heart of the tin embroidery, and it sports many different designs. Rakes imply a good harvest and hard work. Triangle rulers imply measuring the length of wood when constructing a house. Girders stand for houses. Triangles at the sides stand for mountains and rivers.

Designs in the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth units are exactly the same as those in the fourth, third, second, and first unit.

The total area of the back of the skirt is at 46 cm long and 19 cm wide. The tin embroidered part is about 30 ×15 cm. Most patterns are the same as those on the front piece. The second unit has patterns of big heads, which stand for adults.

The back of women’s shirts features a tin embroidered band which measures about 20 x 17 cm. Some tin threads about 10 cm long fall from the band. Called “dripping water threads,” they look like ears and symbolize the wish for a prosperous year.

Miao girls start to learn how to make tin embroidery at a very early age. They usually learn from their elder sisters and mothers. When they reach the age for marriage, they will have to sew a set of tin embroidered garment for their own dowry.

Only on important holidays and festivals, Miao women wear their beautiful tin embroidered clothes. The white tin embroidery on navy blue clothes looks elegant, and matches perfectly with their glistening silver earrings and silver necklaces.

The Miao tin embroidery art was created about 600 years ago. In 1997, some tourists from the Britain came to visit the Miao villages and were surprised to find this fabulous tin embroidery art. Since then, lots of tourists from western countries came to visit the Miao area every year.

In 2006, Miao tin embroidery art was listed by the Chinese government as one of China’s intangible cultural heritages, right up there with the Miao silver necklaces. This great art has even been used to adorn fashion apparel. A gorgeous evening dress sporting Miao tin embroidery art caused a sensation in a fashion show held in Sweden in January, 2009.

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Many people know the Miao for their silver jewels, but about 200 years ago, thousands of Miao people migrated from China into the mountainous areas of Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos. A few lucky groups even made it to the US.

In the Vietnamese War, many Miao people fought alongside US troops against the Pathet Lao. Their leader was General Bao Vang. When the Pathet Lao took control in 1975, many Miao people fled to avoid being persecuted. Many landed in refugee camps ouside of Vietnam.

Before long, many people were able to go to the US, Australia, and Europe, thanks to the UN. Most people tried to go to America. It is believed that some 27,000 Miao refugees made it into the US in 1980.

Refugees began setteling in about 50 different US cities. Brothers, sisters, husbands, and wives were seperated and had to live in different areas. But in the early 1980s, many Miao people started moving into the cities to be closer to friends and family. Interestingly enough, most Miao people now live around the Great Lakes area and California.

Coming to a Western country like the US was not easy, and many Miao people had trouble at first. Back int heir home county, it was acceptable for a man to have mabny wives, but after arrival in the State, they had to choose one and get rid of the others.

Quite a few Miao tribe thought it was acceptable to “kidnap” a woman as a way of asking for her hand in marriage. Obviously in the US that kind of thing is not allowed, so many Miao men found themselves in more than a little trouble.

Almost 30 years went by. Today, the Miao have adapted themselves well to American society while still keeping some of their customs. Now there are over 200,000 Miao/Hmong people in the US. “Hmong” is what they’re called.

In St. Paul-Minneapolis, one of the largest Miao communities, you can find many malls and shops selling colorful Miao costumes and silver jewelry.

During the Miao New Year and other holidays, the Miao dress up with their colorful ethnic costumes and handamde silver jewels to get together with friends and family members. The Miao New Year celebration is usually held over a weekend in autumn. In some years, it even falls on the Fourth of July.

The Miao work hard to protect their ethnic culture. Now, they have their own publications that can introduce their customs and silver jewels to everyone. They also have their radio stations broadcasting the Miao language.

Most Miao send their Chinldren to special schools so they can learn about their ancient culture no matter where they are. Some Miao people in the US even make elaborate sterling silver jewels like those found in China.

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