惠安女_英文_

Development of the Traditional DressThe traditional dress of Hui'an women is embodied with contradictory and harmonious aesthetic elements, implying profound meanings. They wear wide-rimmed bamboo hats and wrapped head scarves which cover the neck. The bottoms of their trouser legs are as wide as 0.4meters. However, more and more young Hu'an women have found favor with fashionable attire such as jackets and jeans and few local women under 35 now wear traditional dress. It is thought that Hui'an dress will become rare within 10 years.Upper Outer GarmentsThe sleeve is made up of a short narrow cuff connected to a wide long one, which,according to the locals, is used to cover a bride's face when she enters the bridal chamber. In the 1920s, the cuffs and collars were embroidered with beautiful patterns,reflecting the liberal ideas of the women and the improvement of the local people's economy. After 1951, the clothes were narrower, the blouse was shortened and the tight sleeves covered only half of the forearms. The changes are attributed to the working women's busy life.The Hui'an women wear beautiful trousers with wide trouser legs, which are convenient to roll up for work.Their trousers are fastened with red or blue plastic ribbons at the waist, to which married women often add silver chains.Hui'an women are the Han women living in Chongwu area of Southeast China's Fujian Province. For years these beautiful and bright women have been famous for their unique dresses and adornments characterized with a strong ethnic color and the fine tradition of hard work and self-denial.HeaddressesIn the past, each local woman wore a large hair bun for various ceremonial activities, such as weddings and festivals. The complicated combed bun was usually decorated with a dozen or even more than 20 silver ornaments. In the early 1950s, the headdress became simplified—a scarf covered the upper part of the face, leaving only a melon seed-shaped lower part. In the 1980s, the women took a fancy to adding a false pigtail to their hair. Since the 1990s the women have worn less headdresses, and tended to dress in quieter colors.Unique Marital CustomBefore the establishment of New China, it had been customary for Hui'an women to return to their parents' house three days after their marriages, and to live with them all year, except for the Spring Festival, the Pure Brightness Day (usually falling on the 5th or 6th of April), and the Zhongyuan Festival (1 5th of the seventh lunar month during which sacrifices are offered to the dead), as well as the Winter Solstice Day (usually falling on the 22nd or 23rd of December) and the busy farming season, when they lived with their husbands. Not until the women gave birth to their children would they permanently reside in their husband's house. The local women would refuse to have sexual intercourse with their husbands to avoid becoming pregnant within three or five years after marriage, for fear of being ridiculed by their female friends and companions.However, nowadays the women, no longer restricted by the old tradition of not1. Some elderly Hui'an women decorate their hair withcolorful headdresses2. A Hui'an woman living in the lane enjoys the cool atthe gate of her house on a hot summer dusk3. Mending fishnets is one of the routine jobs of Hui'an women4. Hui'an women working at the local TV and broadcastingstationPhoto by LIU MINGsettling down in the husband's home, maychoose to live with either their parents orhusbands at their own decision. In the past,the girls, marrying at a young age offermissed their parents. Also because thehusbands went fishing all the year round,it was more convenient for them to livewith their parents. With the spreading ofmodern culture and fast sociadevelopment, the reunion of husband andwife is no longer the butt of jokes.An Important Labor Force forConstructionIn the past, most of the men in Chongwuleft home to make a living or went fishingon the sea throughout the year, so Hui'anwomen became the pillar of their familiesand an important labor force for theconstruction of their hometown. Busilyengaged in building roads and waterconservancy facilities, farming the land,mending fishnets, caring for their elders andteaching their children, they were adept ateverything they did, both inside and outsidethe houses. However, seriously fettered bythe feudal ideology of regarding men assuperior to women, the hardworkingwomen could make little money, whichdetermined their subordinate economicstatus. At that time, the Hui'an women'svirtue of being diligent and capable ofenduring much hardship actually becameanother yoke fettering them.With the establishment of New China,however, the Hui'an women finally brokeoff their chains. Since China implementedthe policy of reform and opening to theoutside world, especially after the 1990s,Chongwu Town implemented a majoradjustment in its industrial structure toactively develop tertiary industry. Today, thelocal women active in economicconstruction have held up half the sky. Nolonger mere accessories of men, they createbrilliant achievements with their wisdomand diligence while fully enjoying life.(Executive Editor: GU WENTONG。