Girl's Traditional Costume At Litang Horse Festival, China #4

[feeline]

here's another set of a khampa woman's traditional costume from last year at litang






as i explained in the other posts, the value of these costumes are anywhere from several tens or hundreds of 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

while khampa tibetans have little fondness for what they consider the invasion and occupation of their country by the chinese, and the suppression of their freedom to religious and cultural practices, this costume culture has seen a resurgence in recent years. this is because tibet, like the rest of china has seen much economic growth during the last 10 or 20 years. while a lot of this money goes to chinese immigrants, and amougnst many tibetans there is still extensive poverty and need for all aspects of development from food and water, to health and education, there is a growing upper and middle class of tibetans who are gaining money. well-off khampas today, like their ancestors, continue to invest much of their wealth in the form of jewelry and ornaments, in part because these items increase in value over time, in part to preserve their old culture, and in part because the costumes bring social prestige. at the litang horse racing fesival, the costumes are a significant sideshow, drawing attention from both normal tibetans, and travelling photographers and tourists alike

[susaan]

Enjoying reading your story and loving the photos of this ancient culture.

[feeline]

glad you like them! these costumes are amazing and are singular in style and in importance within this culture. these costumes and jewelry are more than just ornamentation for them, it's life. they are the main endowment of the family that owns them. it's amazing to think of and to see ninety-something-percent of a family's wealth being worn, but it makes sense given that the families have to move around the himalayas with the seasons

i'll post up more pictures since they seem to be being enjoyed