The Chinese minorities can be identified by their endless various textiles in striking colours. The Miao, an ethnic minority of approximately ten million people, live in the south eastern provinces Yunan, Hunan and Guizhou. They came from the North of China, but purchased by hostile neighbours they ought to flee their place of origin. They found refuge in high mountains and remote little villages.
A part of them moved to Vietnam, Laos and Thailand where they were known as H’mong.
The Miao speak a Sino-Tibetan language that was split up in different dialects. Considering the isolation in which the Miao lived, their traditions and customs (and thus their textiles too) are quite diversified
Aprons, coats, head covers, decorative panels and different kinds of blankets are executed in different techniques: embroidery, chain stich, or patching different pieces of cloth to create a fascinating asymmetric kaleidoscope.