The eleven old women, aged between 63 and 93, live in houses located along Tajiao Lane of Zhaoqing City. Even as young girls, they wore their hair in a bun on their own and pledged never to marry during their lifetime. With a pure heart and few worldly desires, they have lived calm and independent lives for decades in spite of the fast-changing society.

Strange enough, the only men that these self-dressing women speak to are armed policemen. According to one of the local policemen, the women visit the Kwanyin Hall and pay homage to the Buddhisattva of Mercy every morning, regardless of wind or rain.

One of the self-dressing women, surnamed Xia, became an orphan when she was only ten months old, and was adopted by one of her aunts named Zhang Sanmei, who was also a self-dressing woman. As a small girl, Xia was often bullied by the young men of rich families. Therefore, at 15, she walked into Kwanyin Hall and became a self-dressing girl.

The house where she lives is barely furnished. In the hall, a wooden board laid over two stools acts as a place for weaving straw mats and eating, with two rickety carved chairs next to this contraption. Down the ceiling hangs a bamboo basket, within which lies a pair of chopsticks, a bowl, and a few green cabbages.

Behind the hall is a bedroom, which is also unbelievably simple and shabby. Several black wooden boards over three stools constitute her simple bed, on which is spread a thin worn-out quilt. An old but clean mosquito net hangs over the bed. No electronic appliance can be found within the house.

According to Xia, she, together with other self-dressing women, used to live in the Kwanyin Hall on the mountain, where there was not only the Buddhisattva of Mercy for them to worship, but also their dining hall and dwelling place. However, during World War II, the Japanese army destroyed the hall, forcing the women to move away. In 1975, Xia bought the house, where she has since lived in.

Author: Jessie

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