Girls dance to Lusheng music.  Photo: cimg.163.com

Holidays, social activities, and even wedding ceremonies all offer good opportunities for young Miao people to show off their silver jewels and meet.

The Miao start to sing love songs, craft silver jewels, and play various musical instruments at a young age, because these are important and must-have skills for them to capture their lover's heart.

Playing Shuttlecock

Young Miao people frequently get together to play shuttlecock. The one who loses the game will have his/her ears kneaded by the opponent.

If they don't have feelings for each other, the winner will knead the other's ears very much until they become red. But if they like each other, the winner will just give a gentle touch to the ear.

Bamboo Phone Calls

Talking on a bamboo phone.     Photo: chinaculture.org

A thread going through thick bamboo tubes covered with oil paper can be used as a telephone for two lovers. A boy and a girl at each side of the string sing love longs, ask questions and express their feelings.

While talking and singing, the boy may sneak a glance at the girl to see what she looks like. If they don't feel comfortable with each other, they will stop their "phone conversation." If there is a spark between them, they will continue to sing, and fix a date for the next meeting.

Gifts of silver jewelry are soon to follow.

Secret Signs of Dating

Miao lovers have their own signals to communicate the place and time of a meeting.  The one who arrives first will use a patch of grass to tie a knot and put a special mark on it suggesting the meeting place. After their partner arrives, she/he will tie another knot at the center of the same patch of grass to inform others not to bother them.

Silver necklaces, rings, earrings, and bracelets can also carry special significance.

The lovers exchange silver jewels.  Photo: tourunion.com

Exchanging Keepsakes

After a few dates, the lovers will exchange their personal things as a keepsake. The girl gives her silver rings or bracelets to the man, and the man gives the girl his silver waistband or harmonica.

Expensive keepsakes are a symbol of loyalty.

Engagement

On the day they are engaged, the man carries some wine, rice, sugar, duck, and pork to the girl's home to see her parents. The pork must have the tail and one leg of the pig to prove that it was just slaughtered for the engagement.

Then the girl's family will hold a ceremony to worship their ancestors. After a big feast together, the future groom will get a suit of new clothes sewn by the bride.

Marriage

During the wedding ceremony, friends from both families sing songs for at least 8 to 9 hours. Sometimes they sing for a full day and night. These songs tell the story of how the couple met and the history of their ancestors.

Pretty Miao girls.                 Photo: chinaguilin.com

When the feast starts, the man's family holds a ceremony to worship their ancestors, and invite their souls to dine together.

After the feast, the bride holds a basin of warm water and a towel. Both families will use the water and the same towel to wash their face, which means from now on they are a family, and should respect and take care of each other.

Of course, the most important gifts at a wedding is the unique silver jewels given to the bride. Silver bracetets, rings, and more are all handcrafted for her.