Discussion Of The Hui Nationality Traditional Hats In Xiji-haiyuan-guyuan Region In Ningxia Province

As a minority ethnic group widely distributed in China with large population, the Huinationality boasts a long history. Hui people are extensively distributed all over the countryfrom Inner Mongolia in the north to Yunnan in the south. The Hui nationality is a relativelyyoung ethnic group in China. It originated from the foreign business travelers from Arab, andtook shape in the Ming Dynasty after experiencing the Southern Song Dynasty and the YuanDynasty. Over the hundreds of years of development, the group gradually forms its uniquecustoms based on Han culture and Arab traditional culture under the influence of differenteconomic life and common mental state, especially different religious beliefs. For centuries,the industrious and brave Muslim fellows have created splendid national culture in Chinatogether with other ethnic groups and made significant contribution to safeguarding the unityand independence of the country.The paper investigates and studies the traditional headwear of the Hui nationality inXiji-Haiyuan-Guyuan region in Ningxia by a series of field visits and investigations, with thefocus laid on analyzing the decorative patterns of traditional headwear of the Hui nationalityin that region with reference to its religious belief and historical and cultural background,aiming to explore the origination and development of such headwear from the perspective ofreligious belief and folk customs and expound the individuality and commonality in terms oforganization rules, forms, styles and features, colors, point-line-area relations, culturalconnotation, etc. as well as the historical culture of the Hui nationality behind the decoration.The headwear of the Hui nationality is the most important part in their clothing and alsothe most typical sign to distinguish them from other ethnic groups. This paper makesinductive analysis and discussion of the traditional headwear of the Hui nationality inXiji-Haiyuan-Guyuan region in Ningxia from three aspects. Firstly, it expounds the styles,categories and wearing ways of the headwear as well as traditional folk customs; secondly, itsummarizes the decorative patterns of the headwear, makes comparative analysis of them relying on the background of Islamic culture and arts, and then analyses and describes thematerials and craftsmanship of them; at last, the paper analyzes the application of thetraditional decorative patterns in modern design and its reproduction.