Miao tribe

The Miao (Chinese: 苗; pinyin: Miáo; Vietnamese: Mèo or H’Mông; Thai: แม้ว (Maew) or ม้ง (Mong); Burmese: mun lu-myo) are a linguistically and culturally related group of people recognized by the government of the People’s Republic of China as one of the 55 official minority groups.

The term “Miao” gained official status in 1949 as a minzu (nationality) encompassing a group of linguistically related ethnic minorities in southwest China. This was part of a larger effort to identify and classify minority groups to clarify their role in national government, including: establishing areas of autonomous government and allocating the seats for representatives in provincial and national government.

According to the 2000 census, the number of Miao in China was estimated to be about 9.6 million.

The history of the Miao tribe may be unknown to many of us, but certainly is not their jewelry. Their bracelets, earrings, necklaces, etc.. are familiar to tribal dancers and they are decorations of many presentations seen by us. Here are some examples: