The Intangible Heritage of the Maonan People
Together with a research team from Minzu University of China, I traveled to Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County in Hechi, Guangxi, for fieldwork.
There we met two inheritors of intangible cultural heritage.
One practiced traditional Maonan weaving and dyeing—similar in technique to Zhuang brocade, yet marked by Maonan’s distinctive patterns and brilliant colors.
The other specialized in bamboo weaving: cutting bamboo into sections, drying them, then slicing them into fine strips to be woven into bamboo hats, mats, rain capes, pen holders, and other daily necessities.
We also visited local households, some of which still keep the most traditional wooden looms. Their gentle creaks in dimly lit rooms seemed to echo across generations.
These crafts are more than techniques—they are living continuities of the Maonan people’s culture and memory.
Narrative preserved from my original field notebook.
Earlier website text — preserved in full
Independent Fieldwork-Hechi
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The Intangible Heritage of the Maonan People
Together with a research team from Minzu University of China, I traveled to Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County in Hechi, Guangxi, for fieldwork.
There we met two inheritors of intangible cultural heritage.
One practiced traditional Maonan weaving and dyeing—similar in technique to Zhuang brocade, yet marked by Maonan’s distinctive patterns and brilliant colors.
The other specialized in bamboo weaving: cutting bamboo into sections, drying them, then slicing them into fine strips to be woven into bamboo hats, mats, rain capes, pen holders, and other daily necessities.
We also visited local households, some of which still keep the most traditional wooden looms. Their gentle creaks in dimly lit rooms seemed to echo across generations.
These crafts are more than techniques—they are living continuities of the Maonan people’s culture and memory.
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