MEET THE REAL LIFE RAPUNZELS OF CHINA.

In the southern part of China lies the eccentric village of Huanglo. Until 2002, this village was almost unreachable. The village is home to an Indigenous community known as the “Red Yao” people. It is a tiny village with a population of just 600 people (78 families). This small village, however, is home to an outstanding group of people. They are the Real-life Rapunzels of China.

The Yao people are a fascinating tribe. The women of the Yao tribe are known for their long-flowing, pitch-black hair. For Yao women, hair is their most valuable posession, and they take great care of it. Little wonder, Huanglo is the “World’s longest hair village ” according to Guinness Book of Records. An average Yao girl’s hair, measures as long as 5ft (1,52 meters) and can weigh up to 2 pounds (0.91 kg) . A few, however, have hair over 6 ft (1.83 meters) long. The longest hair recorded in the village was 7ft long (2.13 meters) . For ages, the tradition of keeping long hair, has been passed from generation to generation. At this point, we can’t help but wonder “What’s the secret of the Yao’s women amazing long hair? ”

WHAT IS THE SECRET OF THE YAO’S WOMEN LONG HAIR?

Their secret lie in a customary beauty daily routine. Everyday, they wash their hair at the river, and on the third or fourth day, they rinse it with a “special concoction” made of fermented rice boiled water with pomelo skins. After rinsing their hair with this “shampoo”, they then use a wooden comb to spread it evenly. This routine is said to be the reason for their ever-black long hair.

Furthermore, to the Yao women, long hair is a symbol of longevity, so, the longer your hair, the longer you’re most likely to live. A distinctive, yet strange, tradition of the Yao people is that Yao women cut their hair only once in their lives, when they turn 18. This ritual is a coming of age ritual, and it indicates that a girl is ripe for marriage. The bundle of hair cut, is not disposed, but rather, it is kept, and tucked back into the hair bun when the girls become mothers. This differentiates mothers from single ladies.

If you see a Yao woman simply wrap her hair around her head, it means that she’s married, but without kids, and if you see a woman wearing a bun on her head, it means that she’s married with kids.

Thanks to help of the Chinese government, the village of Huanglo now has a thriving tourism sector. The village now has it’s own theater we’re visitors can go and watch the women dance. A visit to Huanglo will be an unforgettable one.