here are some photos of another girl's costume at the Litang Horse Festival in Sichuan province, China:





as i explained in the other posts, the value of these costumes are anywhere from several hundred thousands of u.s. dollars, to many millions (it may not surprise you that there is a big military presence at the festivals, because there are such expensive costumes on display). precious metals and stones are the main store of wealth for these nomadic people, because families must frequently move with changing seasons, and an easily transported form of wealth is necessary. this culture goes back millenia, archeological finds from the 1st century AD in the khampa area unearthed ornaments that are essentially the same in design and materials as todays are. these costumes and ornaments are passed down from generation to generation inside the family. so the ornaments also have great emotional value as they are the remnants of decades and centuries of ancestors