By Suzy Song
China’s Huangluo Yao Village holds the Guinness World Record for the “largest group of long-haired women”.
Red Yao women display their traditional long hair. S.D.86. CC BY-SA 3.0.
As the second-most populous country in the world, with over 1.4 billion people, China is an ethnically, linguistically and regionally diverse landscape. A particularly notable example of such domestic cultural diversity is the Huangluo Yao Village, located in Longsheng County, Guilin, and recognized by Guinness World Records as the “World’s Longest Hair Village.”
Living in the scenic mountains of southwest China, the village’s Indigenous Red Yao women have proudly celebrated hair preservation and growth for over 1,000 years, with 60 women out of the 60 households having hair longer than one meter, and up to 1.7 meters long.
The Red Yao ethnic group’s firm embrace of long hair stems from the practices of ancient imperial China. Nearly every major Chinese dynasty, such as the Han, Qing and Ming dynasties, traditionally viewed long hair as sacred due to their shared Confucian beliefs that hair and the body are gifts from one’s parents and ancestors. To demonstrate respect and filial piety, hair preservation was a strongly held custom. However, one’s social standing, level of civility and wealth also went hand-in-hand with specific hairstyles. Elaborate and elegant updo hairstyles were characteristic of those with the greatest social status. Throughout the course of history, long hair has turned into a nationwide symbol of longevity, good fortune and prosperity.
The tradition of long hair is no longer as harshly imposed as it was under imperial rule. Short hair is common and regarded by many as highly fashionable among mainstream Chinese locals. However, Huangluo Yao’s women have remained steadfast and loyal to the tradition and symbolism. As a rite of passage, the women only cut their hair twice in their entire lifetimes. Once when they are just 100 days old, and once more around their 18th birthday to mark their coming-of-age and transition into adulthood. Even so, this cut of hair is so deeply cherished that it is preserved and wrapped in cloth to be later woven into various hairstyles. These hairstyles differ depending on the stage of life a woman is at. For married women with children, part of their hair is coiled around their head, while the rest is combed into a front bun resting on their forehead to represent motherhood. On the other hand, married women without children do not wear the bun, coiling all of their hair around the top of their head. For women who are unmarried, their long hair is braided and then covered by a black cloth. A woman’s future husband is the only one allowed to see their hair beneath the cloth.
A fascinating result of the Red Yao women’s intense hair regimen is that most of them do not spot any grey hairs until their mid-to-late 80s. But how do China’s “rapunzels” achieve this?
A Red Yao woman shows off the length of her hair. Arian Zwegers. CC BY 2.0.
Many point to the region’s high-quality water and subtropical climate as at least partial explanations. However, the women state that the secret is washing hair with fermented rice water. In place of commercial chemical shampoos, Red Yao women take after ancient Chinese princesses in using rice water infused with local herbs. This century-old cultural shampoo recipe, on top of unique Red Yao clothing, songs, arts and dances, has attracted thousands of travelers who have marveled at the hair tradition. Many of these travelers and admirers have noted their own positive hair progress upon using the Red Yao shampoo, which a Red Yao woman spoke highly about to travel blogger Ye You Ji: “These life hacks inherited from our ancestors are awesome. Only recently, we came to know that our self-made hair washing water contains beneficial elements, like yeast and protein.”
Since the enactment of China’s 2002 “tourism reform” program, the Huangluo village has seen a substantial and growing number of visitors. The improved accessibility to the formerly isolated settlement has brought worldwide recognition to its captivating traditions and broader Chinese history. Huangluo Village is a town not to forget should you find yourself traveling in the country.
Suzy Song
Suzy Song is a sophomore at Tufts University, majoring in International Relations on a pre-law track. Passionate about human rights, international law, and global institutional studies, she hopes to bring meaningful discussions on social justice to corporate fields in the future. From Canada’s Pacific Northwest, she loves travelling, hiking, and vintage film and music.