Miao Folklore & Traditions: Embroideries & The Way of Tea

Bowers Museum hosts a talk with Mei Yin on the special features of each piece of embroidery and the interesting stories and folklores hidden in it

The Miaos are a very colorful ethnic minority group in China with more than 130 different tribal groups and many more different varieties of embroidery that record their ethnic history including history of migration, myths and folklores.  Using a wide variety of samples collected over the years, Ms Mei Yin Lee, long-time researcher of ethnic culture and art, Special Research Fellow , Dunhuang Academy, China and lecturer, University of Hong Kong, will describe the special features of each piece of embroidery and the interesting stories and folklores hidden in it . As well, she will illustrate the various Miao traditional skills, crafts and techniques used in making embroidery.  

Also living in Southwestern China high in the mountains of Yunnan province, ethnic minority groups such as Dai, Lahu, Bulang and Yi are tea farmers. They live in the pristine forest area known to be the birthplace of tea.  Their tea, known as Pu-erh tea, was the designated tribute tea for the imperial court in the Qing Dynasty. Today, this tea is highly sought after by tea aficionados. The life style of these tea farmers remains unchanged for generations, untouched by modern civilization.  Linda Louie, Owner of Bana Tea Company, life-long tea enthusiast and student of tea culture, has traveled extensively in the farms and villages in this beautiful region. You'll have a chance to see how these tea farmers live, their culture and how the rise in popularity of Pu-erh tea impacts their lives.  After the presentation, there will be tea tasting of Pu-erh tea picked from the centuries old tea trees.