Hmong Studies

Split-thread stitching in the Qingshui River area of Shidong, Taijiang County, Guizhou Province, is a national intangible cultural heritage. Through artistic imagination and mythological thinking, Hmong women artists create exaggerated and formalized patterns, presenting a harmonious coexistence of human and all living creatures in nature, providing a unique aesthetic experience for the viewers.

Hongjiang in Hunan was a busy regional port on the Yuan River, a tributary of the Yangtze River. Both Qingshui River and Wuyang River in Qiandongnan flow into the Yuan at Hongjiang. Before the 1940s, the common local saying of “going to Hongjiang” referred to conducting riverine trade.

As the sacred classics through which Hmong ancestors narrate and express their perspectives on Hmong philosophy, Hmong song poetry (Kwv Txhiaj) embodies the essence of the Hmong people’s life, beliefs, and culture. Just like the Torah for Jewish people, Hmong song poetry holds the same importance for the Hmong people and can be regarded as their equivalent of the Torah.

We are pleased to interview the deputy director of the Guizhou Hewan Institute of Hmong Studies. Director An spoke with us about her journey in becoming an expert in Hmong studies, shared her insights into Hmong culture, and discussed her view in promoting more youth engagement in cultural exchange and dissemination. In this column, we look forward to inviting more scholars who have long been specializing in Hmong studies to share with us their unique insights into Hmong culture.