Searching for the Miao Goddess

China / Xijiang

It’s a funny thing, how random trinkets you pick up along the way can end up leading you places we never thought existed. After my first visit to China in 2013, I made an ‘amateur’ mistake and forgot to exchange some of the local currency bills before heading home. Bored on a 12-hour flight, I started examining the bills more closely. That’s when I noticed something I hadn’t seen before.

As a first-time visitor in China, I never really paid much attention to the local currency. I used to refer to them as "Mao bills" due to the large portrait of Mao Zedong on all of them. However, as I looked closer, I realized that each bill features a beautiful visuals on the reverse side, showcasing different scenes from across China. In a way, with these bills in your pocket, you literally carry a "piece of China" with you wherever you go. 

Funny enough,  it was one of the smallest bills—a 0.5 Yuan note—that truly sparked my curiosity. While the other bills depicted natural monuments, this one featured two simple portraits of an ethnic group I had never seen before. These particular bills were the main reason I decided to return to China the following year and work on a new and exciting photography project  – exploring the lives and culture of the Miao people. 

I traveled  to a village called Xijiang, often referred to as the unofficial capital of the Miao (苗族) ethnic group, which is spread across the mountainous regions of southern China. Generally speaking, most of this ethnic group accept the ‘Miao’ title as a statement of their origin although they are a mixture of approximately 20 different branches, including the Biasha, Xixiu, Dangi and many others. Each with its own traditions, dialect, and style of clothing.

Hoping to explore the Mioa culture through the lens on my ‘Successors’ project, I noticed that one of the most iconic attributes of the Miao communities where their distinctive silver jewelry. During festivals, weddings, and special events, Miao women adorn themselves with elaborate handmade silver pieces — delicate ethnic craftsmanship that, to me, elevates their beauty to something almost mythical.  

To learn more about Miao silversmithing, I decided to venture away from the cultural center and explore the uncharted roads and small villages surrounding it. I sought out places where traditional silversmiths still handcraft these iconic silver treasures.

Our journey took us to Maliau village, where we met 74-year-old master silversmith Li-Gong and his 13-year-old granddaughter, Li-Ley-Ling. In Miao communities, silversmithing is a matter of ethnic pride, with each community boasting its own distinctive designs - depicting great falcons, dragons and even the mystic lotus flower. Every village has at least one family of silversmiths, which are the main source of all local’s silver jeallery - often commissioned as a gift from a husband to wife.

Li-Gong’s workshop was dimly lit by a small window, an old television set, and a metal stove that doubled as a furnace and cooking station. Crammed into the corners of the room, I watched in awe as the old smith guided his granddaughter through the delicate steps of Miao silversmithing—from the intensity of melting silver to the gentle practice of folding it into intricate flowers.

Mastering Miao silversmithing can take over a decade. Once a master deems their successor’s work worthy of the title, the family organizes a festive dinner. At this dinner, the master will presents the pupil with a unique gift—a masterpiece of jewelry. Accepting this gift symbolizes three things: 

The first is bestowing the Miao silversmith title upon the successor, a form of certification if you will. 

The second is to showcase the level of mastery and expertise transferred by the mastersmith to his successor. 

Lastly this act indicates a promise; just like the successor received years of training by his teacher — he or she must promise to pass it onwards to their own successors. 

This is how this tradition has survived for thousands of years, by respecting both the mastery of one’s delicate craftswork alongside the unbroken bond between mastersmiths and their successors. 

Not much is known about the origins of the Miao people. Some scholars believe they descended from a small kingdom that broke apart thousands of years ago, fracturing into different yet connected tribes. It is said that their intricate jewelry is a cultural attempt to transform their wealth into portable items they could carry as they migrated across the land, eventually settling in villages throughout what we now know as southern China.

Many believe that the Miao’s appearance reflects a blend of thousands of years of culture from South and Central China, with each tribe preserving its own window into ancient history. This cultural relic is precious, especially considering that these cultural elements are among the few to survive the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 70s.

If you are interested, during my time in Maliau village, I had the honor of creating a behind-the-scenes video, which you can find below:

Something else changed for me during this journey. Up to that point, my photography style has been primarily what many would consider to be a ‘classical’ version of cultural photography. But as my time in southern China came to an end, I felt that something was missing from the images I had captured so far.

I remember the first time I saw a Miao woman—dressed in her colorful traditional dress, adorned with ethnic silver jewelry, and crowned with a magnificent headdress. She looked like a spirit from another world, walking among those who came to witness her beauty. Both as a creative and traveler, I dreamed of capturing that feeling in an image.

To achieve this, I decided to step out of my comfort zone. I temporarily set aside the cultural photography style I was accustomed to and experimented with pure art photography. My goal was to create an image that would not only show the Miao people but also encompass the feeling I had when I first saw them. I set out to visualize the ‘Miao Goddess.’

The photographic process and experience of creating these images deserve a dedicated post of their own, which I hope to write in the future. 

However, one thing is certain: as a creative, experiences that push me out of my comfort zone are priceless. By challenging myself to express the idea of the Miao Goddess through sheer admiration, I gained a much deeper understanding of the cultural relics that Miao silversmiths have preserved for thousands of years—silver ornaments that command respect and offer hope, even in our modern world.

One of my favorite things about exploring and developing my ‘The Successors’ project is discovering just how much these aincent cultures or traditions can inspire us. The most powerful aspect of the Miao silversmiths and their gorgeous ethnic artwork isn’t just their craftsmanship; it’s the dedication to preserving it and the pride they take in sharing it with the world. Through these actions, they menage to elevate themselves to the stature of goddesses who inspire us by simply… existing :).

This image series and storyline is part of my long-term project ‘The Successors.’ There are many unique and extraordinary cultures worldwide whose future lies in the hands of their modern-day successors—young individuals whose decisions and personal journeys will determine the future of ancient arts and traditions, shaping the world of their communities for thousands of years.

Join me as I explore more of these stories of succession and try to uncover the future of these relics of the human experience.

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