Guilin Tourism Sees Huge Upsurge

Pan Lianfeng (L), in her 40s, has the longest hair, measuring 2.1 meters in the Yao ethnic village - Huangluo Yao village, known as the long hair village. She and her companion are performing a long hair show along the river.

Pan Lianfeng, like many other rural women, has experience working as a migrant worker in big cities such as Shenzhen. Nothing special with her, except that her hair is extraordinary long, reaching a length of 2.1 meters.

Pan Lianfeng is a woman of Red Yao, a branch of the Yao Nationality living in Longsheng County, Guilin of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. All the women of Red Yao enjoy wearing red clothes, hence the name.

The branch also has the custom of women keeping long hair. According to local tradition, women cut their hair only twice ― once at about 16 to 18 years old, when they are considered ready for adulthood and marriage. They cut it at shoulder length, and keep the cut hair like a headpiece, for twisting into part of their regular hairdo. The second time is when they die.

Rice terraces of Longji, Guilin.

Pan’s village Huangluo Yao village is the only one of Yao ethnic group among all the thirteen villages in Longji, where is famous for rice terraces and became a tourist attraction. There are nearly 60 families of 300 people living in Huangluo Yao village; among them 60 women have long hair of more than 1.4 meter, and it has been written in the Guinness World Records. Long hair brought them honor, and also economic income. They found out a way out of poverty – to perform long hair show and local singing and dancing show to visitors coming to Longji from all over the world.