Hui'an maidens
Encyclopedia
Hui'an maidens or Hui'an women are a group of women residing in Hui'an County
of Quanzhou
, Fujian Province, China
. They are Han Chinese
, but trace their origins to the ancient Minyue people more than two thousand years ago. The isolation on the eastern peninsula of Hui'an prevented Hui'an maidens from assimilating into the Han culture, so many of their distinctive customs and traditions still survive today.
Hui'an maidens are also well-known for their hard work and kindness. They indefatigably "do most of the farmwork, road repair, and family chores while their husbands are at sea."
Hui'an maidens' unique costumes can be found in some other southern Chinese minority groups. For example, their conical hats are similar to the Li
and Jing people's, and their short tight jackets bear much resemblance to those of the Dai people
in Sipsongpanna. On traditional festivals, Hui'an maidens pull their hair into a knot which looks like a butterfly
, which was one of the totems of ancient Minyue. All these are regarded as evidences that they are descendants of the ancient Baiyue.
In recent years, however, Hui'an maidens have had more contact with the outside world and they have been influenced by the marriage law. For these reasons, younger generations today refuse to obey old marriage customs.
Hui'an County
Hui'an is a county under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Quanzhou, Fujian, China.Hui'an County, located in the middle of the southeast coast of Fujian Province, Quanzhou Bay and between Meizhou Bay, and Taiwan across the sea, is the famous hometown of overseas Taiwanese and...
of Quanzhou
Quanzhou
Quanzhou is a prefecture-level city in Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders all other prefecture-level cities in Fujian but two and faces the Taiwan Strait...
, Fujian Province, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. They are Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
, but trace their origins to the ancient Minyue people more than two thousand years ago. The isolation on the eastern peninsula of Hui'an prevented Hui'an maidens from assimilating into the Han culture, so many of their distinctive customs and traditions still survive today.
Hui'an maidens are also well-known for their hard work and kindness. They indefatigably "do most of the farmwork, road repair, and family chores while their husbands are at sea."
Costumes
Typical Hui'an maidens wear short cyan jackets and skintight black hip huggers which flare out baggily at the legs and leave their bellies bare, but they fastidiously cover their heads with colorful scarves and conical hats. Thus they are jokingly said to have "feudal heads, thrifty jackets, democratic bellies, and wasteful trousers."Hui'an maidens' unique costumes can be found in some other southern Chinese minority groups. For example, their conical hats are similar to the Li
Li people
The Li or Hlai are a minority ethnic group, the vast majority of whom live off the southern coast of mainland China on Hainan Island, where they are the largest minority ethnic group...
and Jing people's, and their short tight jackets bear much resemblance to those of the Dai people
Dai people
The Dai peoples is one of several ethnic groups living in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture , but by extension can apply to groups in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Burma when Dai is used to mean specifically Tai Lue, Chinese Shan or even...
in Sipsongpanna. On traditional festivals, Hui'an maidens pull their hair into a knot which looks like a butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
, which was one of the totems of ancient Minyue. All these are regarded as evidences that they are descendants of the ancient Baiyue.
Marriage
Hui'an maidens have very distinct customs regarding their marriage. Newlyweds are not allowed to stay together on their wedding night, so the groom stays in a friend's house. On the second day, the bride pays respects to the groom's family and gives gifts to the elders. On the third day, the groom's sister leads the bride to the communal well to draw two buckets of water. After five days of obeying various customs, she returns to her parents' home. Bride and groom are forbidden to live together or even talk to each other until the bride bears a child.In recent years, however, Hui'an maidens have had more contact with the outside world and they have been influenced by the marriage law. For these reasons, younger generations today refuse to obey old marriage customs.