Wanhui and her sister's splendid attire

Yang Wanhui is a 13-year-old girl in Leli Dong village, Rongjiang county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture, Guizhou province. On Aug 27, she and her cousin Yang Jiangyun dressed up in their traditional clothes for the first time.

Leli Dong's outfit includes a series of clothes such as round collar, wide sleeves, apron, pleated skirt and embroidered shoes, which had taken several years to make. Every young Dong woman holds at least three to five sets of traditional outfits, and they wear them during festivals and when visiting relatives and friends. They are attired with much jewelry, such as headwear, necklet, bracelets and earrings.

Dressing up in traditional attires can be complicated and time-consuming. From combing their hair to putting on clothes, it could take more than two hours. Many elder family members visited Wanhui's home to help them dress up.

Wanhui (right), Jiangyun (left) and their little niece Luting dressed up in traditional Dong attire. [Photo by Zeng Lang / for China Daily]