In this Chinese village of 'real-life Rapunzels,' women only cut their hair once in their lives
Isaiah Reynolds
- In Huangluo village of Guangxi Zhuang, hair is deeply connected to womanhood.
- The Red Yao women are widely known for growing their hair nearly six feet long as a sign of longevity.
The Red Yao women of Huangluo Yao village are visited by people from around the world to witness the most remarkable feature of beauty in their culture — their hair.
Source: Vogue
The Red Yao women, referring to their traditionally red clothing, only cut their hair once, typically on their 18th birthday.
The centuries-long tradition is thought to bring longevity and prosperity.
Source: Al Jazeera
Growing their locks to nearly six feet long, the women have a traditional cleansing routine they follow to maintain hair health and color.
The natural "shampoo" includes a key ingredient: fermented rice water. Women for generations have attributed their hair length and health to rice water boiled with herbs, pomelo peels and tea bran. Using a wooden comb, the women distribute the mixture from the scalp to ends.
Source: CNN/Great Big Story
Yao women mark their first haircut as a sign they are open for marriage. This hair does not go to waste, however — the hair is preserved by family until the woman is married.
Source: Outlook Traveller
As the women mature, certain styles signify different marital and family statuses.
An unmarried woman typically wears a black scarf covering her head as hair is viewed as sacred and traditionally only seen by family members. If the hair is wrapped around the head, it means the woman is married with no children. Wrapped hair, along with a bun made from the preserved cut hair, signifies the woman is married with children.
Source: Al Jazeera, CNN/Great Big Story
For centuries, hair was so sacred there were specifications on who could or could not see a woman's hair.
Until the 1980s, local lore said that if a man outside a woman's family laid eyes on her uncovered hair, he would have to stay with her family for three years. There were also legends that thousands of years ago, women would whip unwelcome suitors with their long hair.
Source: Vogue
One of the most unique results of their hair regimen has been eradicating grey hairs — the Red Yao women claim that many do not experience hair graying until well into their 80s.
Source: Vogue
People around the world marvel at the traditional beauty of the Red Yao women and their customs. They are lauded as the "rapunzels" of their province, which has created a substantial market to present the traditions they've preserved for centuries.
Source: Vogue
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