Spring Outing to the Fortress (Part 3): Guizhou Provincial Museum (Ethnic Guizhou)

Guizhou Province, abbreviated as 'Qian' or 'Gui', is a plateau and mountainous province in the hinterland of Southwest China. It is one of the cradles of ancient life on Earth and also one of the regions with the most typical karst landforms in the world, known for its spectacular and colorful karst landscape. Since the Spring and Autumn period, five major ethnic groups, namely the Huaxia, Baiyue, Baipu, Miao Yao, and Di Qiang, have lived on this mysterious land, creating the ancient civilization of Guizhou and laying a solid foundation for the cultural diversity of Guizhou. Today, ethnic groups such as the Han, Miao, Buyi, and Dong live on this land, together creating the colorful culture of Guizhou. The Ethnic Guizhou themed exhibition hall mainly displays the ethnic culture and relics of the Han, Miao, Buyi, Dong, and other ethnic groups. The exhibits include Miao women's clothing from Huaxi District in Guiyang, Miao embroidered square-patterned back fans from Guiyang, Miao colorful embroidered 'rice' and 'happiness' pattern back fans, geometric pattern back fans from Gejia in Huangping County, Buyi wax-dyed women's costumes from Liuzhi, Miao silver ornaments, and others. This Song dynasty egret-patterned colored wax-dyed pleated skirt was unearthed from the Coffin Cave in Pingba in 1987. The waist of the skirt is made of hemp, white in color, 31 centimeters long; the body of the skirt is made of cotton homespun, 62.5 centimeters long and 51.2 centimeters wide. The wax-dyed pattern is divided into two parts, the upper part features flying egrets, and the lower part has patterns resembling flowing clouds. This 'egret-patterned colored wax-dyed pleated skirt' combines the techniques of picking flowers, embroidery, and wax dyeing. The patterns are intricate and varied, presenting a rich and colorful appearance. The pattern is modeled after the egret patterns on early bronze drums, with large images, smooth lines, and minimal coloring, blending joy, rigor, passion, and generosity, reflecting the artistic view and craftsmanship of ancient ethnic minorities. It plays an important role in the study of the history of Guizhou wax dyeing, ancient Guizhou ethnic costumes, and their evolution. The Ming dynasty crown with nine phoenixes and three dragons inlaid with gemstones is 29 centimeters high, 38 centimeters wide, and weighs 1388.8 grams. The crown is graceful and luxurious, exquisitely made. The silver hat frame is decorated with dragons, phoenixes, and flowers all made of gold filigree, and the flowers are finely woven from gold threads. The front and back of the crown have different designs. The central design on the front is a large peony flower, with five phoenixes standing above it in an arc, and three dragons soaring at the top of the crown, with horizontal flower ears on the left and right. The center of the back features a lotus flower design, with gemstones inlaid at the tip of the pistil and petals. Above and below the lotus flower, there is a large diamond-shaped flower block and a butterfly, with two phoenixes standing among the flowers on the upper left and right. In the center below hangs a semi-circular large flower block, with curled cloud head flower wings on the left and right. The entire piece is inlaid with red and green gemstones, dazzling and eye-catching. Guizhou Provincial Museum