Tu Ethnic Minority

The Tu ethnic minority, mainly distributed in the east of Qinghai Province and some parts of Gansu Province of China, is a minority with a long historic standing. At first, they were engaged in animal husbandry, and later began to develop agriculture. Farming on mountainous farmland has become a typical character of the economy of the Tu ethnic minority.

Chic and Artistic Headwear

The Tu women lay stress on headwear, and the fashion varies a lot from place to place. Their traditional styles include the so-called "Tuhunniuda" (a round-cake-shaped one), commonly called "Ganliangtou" (hairstyle of cake), the "Narenjiudai", also called "three-branched hair" and the "Jiasiniuda", etc.

Now, such traditional headwear has been replaced by a simple fashion: girls usually plait their hair into three pigtails; married women, two pigtails, connected at the end and accompanied by some corals, tophi, etc. Then, brocade felt hat is put on it, looking very smart.

Silver Eardrops Hanging to the Breast

Gold, silver or copper earrings worn by women of the Tu ethnic minority are decorated with patterns, inlaid with red coral or emerald, with five-colored beads hanging on them, and tassels are fastened on the beads. The most dainty should be the "seven up and nine down" or "five up and seven down" type of silver eardrops: several clusters of five-colored porcelain beads string the earrings together, and the long bead clusters hang before the breast, just like many necklaces. On the neck, there is a "Suo'er necklace" made of twenty or so round trumpet shells.

• Modern China
• Tibetan Women
• Fuzhou Women
• Lahu Ethnic Minority
• Manchu Hairstyle
• Mongolian Women
• Miao Ethnic Group
• Sani Women
• She Ethnic Minority
• Tu Ethnic Minority