In the long course of history, the Tajik people, like a warm flame on the Pamir Plateau, have nurtured a colorful national culture and made it prosperous. As one of the carriers of costume culture, Tajik costume has been included in the national intangible cultural heritage list because of its unique charm.

On the Pamir Plateau in the far west of China, there have been a group of people living for generations - the Tajik people, who have a long history, splendid culture and glorious tradition. The land they live in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, the only county in China that borders three countries, where one can overlook the landscapes of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. They have been unswervingly guarding the border of their motherland for generations.

Due to its location in the plateau region, the rigid climate, and unique geographical environment, Tajik people have retained their relatively traditional lifestyles and customs to a considerable extent. In the long course of history, the Tajik people, like a warm flame on the Pamir Plateau, have nurtured a colorful culture and made it prosperous. As one of the carriers of costume culture, Tajik costume has been included in the national intangible cultural heritage list because of its unique charm.

Photo shows people dance in Tajik traditional costumes. (Photo by Zhao Shuyang)

The colors of Tajik costume

Color is the first impression given by materials, which can capture people's attention in an instant. For Tajik costumes, red, white and black are the most basic colors. On the Pamir Plateau, whether it is woodland, grassland or mountains, these three colors together always have a very striking visual effect.

In the use of color, the Tajik people absorbed elements from both Eastern and Western cultures, and the usage of that color has a deep connection to nature. Red is the most important auspicious color in Chinese traditional culture, symbolizing happiness and beauty. The Tajik people worship the sun, and they regard red as their honor in their clothing. Therefore, red always occupies the main position in the clothes of young Tajik women, and red ornaments are always important parts of men's clothes.

White is an inseparable color from red in Tajik clothing. In Western culture, white symbolizes purity and luck. In the clothing of the Tajik people, white often appears together with red, and has a strong meaning of blessing, symbolizing the Tajik people's yearning for a better life.

Finally, there is the most important color, black. The Qin Dynasty of China worshiped the color black. Black represents a solemn and deep power. In Tajik costumes, black is the main color for men, which is also a concrete reflection of the calm and solemn side of the Tajik character.

Red, white and black have an enduring vitality in the Tajik dress tradition. On one hand, these three colors showcase the collection of wisdom from the Tajik people's life and production experience on the plateau. On the other hand, the concept behind these three colors reflects the openness and inclusiveness of Tajik culture.

Tajik costumes and patterns

Tajik people are good at embroidery. They have learned embroidery skills since childhood, and the traditional Tajik costumes can fully present the delicacy and beauty of this skill.

The patterns are mainly embroidered on hats for men and women, necklines and cuffs of jackets, and the edges of waistbands and dresses.

Taking the embroidery pattern of Tajik women's hats as an example, different pattern are usually embroidered on cylindrical hat’s top and body separately. The pattern of the top of the hat is often repeatedly arranged and partitioned in a large or small grid to form a pattern with changes in the repetition, which is mainly quadrilateral continuous or central radiating patterns, while the body is generally embroidered by two-square continuous patterns. And the color, shape, theme and the top of the hat are consistent. This kind of unity with dynamic, repeated accompanied by changes in the decorative techniques, forms the unique aesthetic of Tajik hats and even Tajik costume patterns.

The patterns of Tajik costumes primarily consist of geometric motifs and plant and flower patterns. The common patterns of plants and flowers include pomegranate flowers, chrysanthemums, curly grass patterns, etc., which are generally expressed in more abstract and generalized techniques; Geometric patterns, such as triangles, sun shapes, stars and other patterns, reflect the Tajik people's yearning for the sky and the pursuit of the sun and light. In the interspersed use of geometric patterns and plant patterns of Tajik patterns, the closeness and love of Tajik people for nature are fully expressed.

Style and structure of Tajik costumes

The characteristics of Tajik costumes are mainly reflected in the decorative changes of women's clothes and the structure of men's hats and shirts.

Tajik hats include the fur hat "Tumak" for men, and the flowery hat "Kuleta" for women (for autumn and winter) and "Sheydayi" (for spring and summer). "Tumak" fur hat is the representative clothes of Tajik men, generally made of high-quality black lamb skin, and the edge of the hat is rolled up, embroidered with laciness. And Tajik grooms’ hats are decorated with red and white ribbons. The hats of Tajik women are usually cylindrical flat top style, having rich embroidery decorations that set off the beauty of Tajik women, and red headscarf and numerous braids are often matched with brides’ hats, looked extremely gorgeous.

Tajik men often wear qiapan (Uygur or Tajik robe buttoning down the front), coats, embroidered shirts, pants with leather shoes or boots. The patterns for men’s clothes are more restrained and simple, generally concentrated on the front of the garment and cuffs. Another important accessory for men is the waist scarf, which is generally triangular in shape and has embroidered patterns. It is often used to tie qiapan, decorate or hang knives and other daily necessities. Grooms' waist scarfs are generally red, and they also wear finger rings with red and white silk.

Eagles, as a symbol of strength and freedom, the image of eagle, from hunting practices to artistic expressions such as dance, can be said to occupy a central place in Tajik culture. The strength, freedom and bravery of eagle culture complement each other with the roughness, delicacy and beauty of Tajik costumes, and they jointly reflect the yearning for and pursuit of a better life of the Tajik people.

As a national intangible cultural heritage, Tajik costume has been well innovated, protected and promoted through the application of inheritance bases and other ways, and has won more people's attention and love in the process, injecting new vitality into local economic and social development.

Written by Zhao Shuyang

Edited by Hu Yongfeng

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