Each stitch of the Miao people’s costume represents all sufferings and memories of their migration. As time passed, their costume has become a “history book”. The lace on the cuffs and turn-ups of the Shui people symbolizes a "shield" against poisonous snakes; the silks on Mongolian girl’s head proudly represents “the horn of the banner”. In the eyes of Wei Ronghui, , Chairman of the Museum Culture Professional Committee of the China Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Science, an expert in ethnic costumes and a designer, the colorful ethnic costumes in Guizhou are like a magnificent picture. “Ethnic costumes are a picture that you can never look through, a book that you can never fully understand, and a river that never dry. I am fascinated by them all the time," said she.

Ethnic costumes in Guizhou is a rich mine

Wei Ronghui once visited the quaint Miao villages and also walked into the remote mountains. Her philosophical background allows her to examine the history, culture, and spirit behind the ethnic costumes more deeply. As early as 1979, Wei Ronghui went to Paigao Commune of Leishan County in Guizhou with her teacher to do research. Back then, what attracted her was not only the special skirts’ hemline of Duanqun Miao( a branch of the Miao people featuring in wearing short skirts) but also the culture behind this ethnic group. In 1980, she began to conduct field research independently, visiting Taijiang, Danzhai, Shibing, Rongjiang, Pingtang, and Sandu to explore the clothing culture of different ethnic groups. “I voraciously read them like reading the history and wisdom of each group," said she.

Wei Ronghui has written down the beauty of these costumes to her readers. There are the most raging beauty of ethnic minorities in her writings. For example, to commemorate the "life-saving grass" fern roots, the Yi people embroidered them on their clothes. The traditional shawls of the Yao people are deftly embroidered with complicated patterns; the Dong girls’ secret of having long black hair is using tea seed oil to wash their hair. They like wearing buns in many styles and putting silver combs, wooden combs, or colored beads into hair; "Unicorn Miao" is even more mysterious. The women wrap their hair tightly around a 20 cm-long wooden cone, and then fix them with a red rope. It looks like a rhino horn. Wei Ronghui is a Miao girl who left the mountainous Guizhou to know the outside world. " Each ethnic group has kept its own good ethnic costumes. It is like a rich mine. It is worth thinking that how can we make full use of this rich mine to contribute to the world culture.

“You are backed by your country!”

Submerging in ethnic costumes and the culture behind them, Wei Ronghui has shifted a from a researcher to a designer and curator of ethnic costumes. Supported by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People’s Republic of China, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wei Ronghui has organized international activities to promote ethnic costumes for more than 20 years, going to more than 20 countries to show the beauty of the East for more than 4 million audiences.

The comments of the legendary French designer Pierre Cardin are still vivid in her mind.   In 2003, she hosted the "Colorful China", a Chinese Ethnic Costume Exhibition held in France. To attend the exhibition, Pierre Cardin discharged himself from the hospital earlier and even didn't care when a reporter accidentally stepped on his foot. After watching the show, especially the part of Guizhou Miao embroidery, he changed his thought that China does not have high-end fashion. “China has thousands of years of history of high-end fashion,” said he.

Wei Ronghui has brought the lacquer bracelets of the Yi ethnic group, the embroidered shoes of the Bai ethnic group, the flower hats of the Uyghur ethnic group, as well as the Miao embroidery and batik into many countries. What impressed her most is the Miao ceremony gown that gave her the courage to deliver an English speech at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. "Clothing is powerful. It gives me courage, pride, and confidence," said she. In that event, UN Deputy Secretary-General Tegegnework Gettu highly praised China’s achievements and contributions in the protection of culture. At the celebration banquet that night, Wei Ronghui said, “I am proud of my nation, and I am proud of my country.” These heartfelt and touching words made her many team members shed tears.

Wei Ronghui was also misty-eyed and shared , “At that time, you would feel that you are backed by your country. An excellent nation and a powerful country are why you can be confident in a foreign country. You would hope that China can gain respect from others because only when we gain respect, our voice could be heard.”

Culture confidence is from cultural consciousness

Engaging in cultural exchanges for many years, Wei Ronghui has deeply realized, “culture confidence comes from cultural consciousness. It is important to know yourself in a multicultural society. As the sociologist Fei Xiaotong said on his 80th birthday, ‘appreciate the culture of others as do to one's own, and the world will become a harmonious place.’”

Wei Ronghui recalled, “When I went abroad in the early days, I was not very confident. In fact, the true culture confidence does not need us to show it or promote it deliberately. As China continues to grow stronger, I also can see the rapid growth of my hometown of Guizhou. You are truly confident in your culture when you exchange with other cultures on an equal footing under the premise of respect and learn from each other.”

“In short, cultural consciousness is to know and understand our own roots, that is, to know ourselves. We need to understand and interpret our nation, culture, and history and absorb the strengths of other cultures. In communicating with other cultures and mutual learning, we can build a new cultural context. This is why we go global and delve into our culture," added she.

Share Guizhou with the world!

Wei Ronghui is happy to share the beauty of his hometown of Guizhou with the world. Normally, she would take them to see the largest Miao village in the world, Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village and then eat the banquet on a long table on the rice field. She would also introduce a white “pigeon flower”, an internationally recognized “living fossil plant”, from Guizhou to foreign friends. She once recommended embroidery with patterns of pigeon flowers in the United Nations, “You don’t need to say anything. They know the beauty. I am so proud that my hometown still keeps this treasure."

“Guizhou is a rich mine of ethnic costumes. It belongs to the world and is shared by all mankind,” said Wei Ronghui. She expects that Guizhou's ethnic costumes can go global. “I suggest that we should first sort out the stories and culture behind ethnic clothes rather than simply take them out. At the same time, we need a well-organized system. Appropriate channels are also very important. For example, we can promote ethnic clothes by goods, network, films and television, museum exhibitions, " she added.

Wei Ronghui is proud of the development of Guizhou and moved by the well-preserved primitive ethnic culture. " My hometown Guizhou is an oasis of the human soul and the hometown of all human beings. It can bring you back to your childhood and awaken the warmest memories of human-beings,” said she.