Hui'an maidens
Han Chinese subgroup
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hui'an maidens or Hui'an women (Chinese: 惠安女; pinyin: Huì'ān nǚ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hūi-oaⁿ cha-bó͘) are a Han Chinese subgroup that are a part of a distinct Han community residing in Hui'an County of Quanzhou, Fujian, China. They have a distinct dress and marital customs that have been the focus of both anthropologists and governmental censure.[1]
| |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| C. tens of thousands | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Quanzhou, Fujian, China | |
| Languages | |
| Southern Min, Standard Chinese | |
| Religion | |
| Buddhism, Taoism, Islam |
History
The Hui'an are categorized as Han Chinese as they speak Sinitic languages, adopted Han culture, and practise Chinese religions but their origin traces back to the ancient Minyue people of more than two thousand years ago. The isolation on the eastern peninsula of Hui'an prevented Hui'an maidens from completely assimilating into the Han culture, so many of their distinctive customs and traditions still survive today.[2][3][unreliable source?] Other Baiyue peoples who continue to retain a cultural distinction from the Han despite adopting many of their practises and now speak a Sinitic language include the Tanka people and Pinghua.
Culture
Costumes
Traditional dress in Hui'an county for young women was particularly colorful featuring elaborate headgear and exposed midriffs.[4]: 129 Typical Hui'an maidens wear short cyan jackets and skintight black hip-huggers that flare out at the legs, and they cover their heads with colorful scarves and conical hats.
The distinct traditional mode of dress gave rise to a frequent misconception that Hui'an county people were not Han Chinese, as well as the joke that the dress of Hui'an is "feudal heads, democratic bellies."[4]: 129 Depictions of this mode of dress in popular culture include the film Village of Widows, which deals with sexual mores along the Fujian coast.[4]: 129
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. The bride and groom are forbidden to live together or even talk to each other until the bride bears a child.[5] Younger generations no longer practice these customs.[6][7]
Religion
The majority of the Hui'an people have the same religious practices as other Han Chinese.[8]
