Ethnic Minorities in Hainan Part II: Intangible Cultural Heritage
The cultural practices of ethnic minorities are central to Hainan’s intangible cultural heritage. Their traditions, especially those of the Li and Miao people, are the soul of Hainan cultural identity. Of the island’s thirty-two nationally listed intangible cultural heritage items, the majority originate from or are shared with the Li and Miao ethnic groups.
The crown jewel of Hainan’s intangible cultural heritage is the Li textile techniques (the core processes of spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidering). Not only is this handicraft designated a national-level intangible cultural heritage by the Chinese government, but it was also inscribed in 2009 on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. In 2024, thanks to successful preservation efforts, it was transferred to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is the first time a heritage item from Hainan has received such international recognition. These textile techniques are not historical relics because over twenty thousand Li textile inheritors are still actively practicing this handicraft today. The most famous tangible product of Li textile techniques is the Li brocade.
Beyond the internationally renowned Li textiles and brocade, the Li people have many other traditions recognized at the national level, including Li tattoos (no longer practiced), the Sanyuesan Festival, the bamboo dance, Li folk songs, Li pottery, and their unique boat-shaped houses. Meanwhile, the Miao people have Miao embroidery, Panhuang dance, and Miao folk songs. Since both the Li and Miao communities lack a written language, the intricate patterns on their textiles and brocade, pottery, and dances are the ‘heavenly texts without words’ (无字天书) to record and preserve their history, legends, and beliefs.
While the core processes of spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidering are universal across the five main branches of the Li ethnic group, the UNESCO listing notes that the different intricate patterns woven into the textiles are used to distinguish the different branches of the Li minority group. Each branch specializes in one or more of the key textile techniques to create differentiation. For instance, both the Ha and Qi branches are best in Jacquard (or brocade) weaving. The Run branch is renowned for its double-sided embroidery, the Meifu branch for bing resist dyeing, and the Sai branch for various other techniques. These technical differences are not arbitrary. They also reflect the different environments and cultural emphases of the different branches. For instance, animal motifs in Meifu textiles reflect a strong hunting culture, while the geometric patterns common in Ha textiles are more aligned with the patterns of an agrarian community. Hence, the Li textile tradition is a masterpiece of cultural diversity, with each of the five branches contributing its own unique thread to the overall fabric.
The styling of their attire is also different, especially in women's clothing. The Ha women typically wear a collarless, front-opening short-sleeved blouse with a longer front hem, paired with a mid-length tube skirt. The women from some sub-groups of the Ha branch also wear long tube skirts and black headscarves. The Qi women often wear a collarless, front-opening, short-sleeved blouse with embroidered patterns on the back. The lower garment is a mid-length tube skirt. They also wear distinctive silver ornaments. The women from some sub-groups of the Qi branch often wear a black or colorful long headscarf, or a hood-like headscarf. The Run women wear an ancient ‘head-through’ garment (a poncho-like top) with a V-neck. The blouse is paired with a very short, tight tube skirt (known as a ‘mini-skirt’ among the Li). The textile used for their dresses is renowned for its double-sided embroidery. The Meifu women wear a dark blue or black front-opening top without buttons, and their lower garment is a long tube skirt, famous for its unique tie-dye (扎染) patterns. The Sai women wear a tight-fitting, front-opening top with a standing collar and narrow sleeves, and their lower garment is a long, woven tube skirt. Men's clothing across the branches is generally simpler and similar in style. The Li men usually wear a collarless, front-opening, upper garment, with or without buttons, paired with a short wraparound skirt or loincloth.
Not only are their textile patterns and attire different, but dialects of the five Li branches are also different. For instance, the common word ‘eat’ can be articulated as "la," "lao," "lou," "luo," "ken," or "de" depending on the dialect! Hence, a member of the Li minority might ask another member, "Do you say 'la ta' or 'lou ta'?" to figure out which branch the other Li member belongs to.
Some of the dialects are closely related. The Ha (哈) and Qi (杞) dialects are quite similar, and their speakers can generally understand each other. The same is true for the Run (润) and Meifu (美孚) dialects; they are also mutually intelligible. These two pairs share between 70% to 80% of their vocabulary, which is why communication is still possible. Meanwhile, the Sai (赛) dialect, also known as Jiamao, stands out completely. It is considered not mutually intelligible with the other four dialects. This is supported by the fact that over half of its vocabulary is different from the others, making meaningful conversation impossible with speakers of the other dialects. The Sai dialect is so different primarily because its roots are not purely Li. Linguists believe the Sai group speaks a language that is either a unique branch of the Kra-Dai family or even a separate language, rather than just another dialect of the Hlai languages spoken by the other four Li branches.
The intangible cultural heritage of ethnic minorities in Hainan is rich and diverse. With the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the expected influx of foreigners, will it adapt well to the new Hainan, or will it fade away?
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