Mongolian people in North also have unique waist adornments. Whenever grassland parties come and the most traditional horse racing and wrestling contests are held, young men will wrap a kind of special wide leather belt or silk ribbon. In daily dress, waist belts are also an indispensable part. Some belts are made by leather, but most are made by cotton cloth or silk. The belt is about three to four meters long. Because Mongolians are the horseback minority who are engaged in stock herding and also because they live in cold and windy area, tying a belt will not only prevent wind and coldness, but also keep the stabilization of waist and backbone while riding horse and holding halter.
Men would lift up the robes when tying belt in order to facilitate riding. They carry Mongolian knifes, flint and cigarette holders on their waist belts. Women like to pull down the robe when tying waist ribbons to make the robe smooth, which would highlight waistline and the beauty and uprightness of the body. The waist belt outside the Ewenke herdsman's robe also has its own cultural connotations. It is considered to be a very impolite behavior for men and women not wearing waist belts. Women could tie no waist belt in usual time, but must tie belts when doing labor work. Yugur minority people who are engaged in stock farming also attach great importance to the waist belt. Men mostly wear red and blue belts, and hang waist knifes, steel for flint, flint, small wine kettles, snuffboxes or China tobacco pipes. Women mostly wear red, green or purple waist belts decorated with several colorful handkerchiefs sometimes. Russians in Northwest China like to wear thin waist belts made by leather or cotton, but mostly they wear silk belts woven by silk threads with a beautiful knot at the right side of the waistline and tassels hanging down naturally. Qiang people are good at embroidery. Besides using brocade waist belts, they also like to embroider colorful and fancy patterns on cloth waist belts.
Mongolia Ethnic Group
Ewenke Ethnic Group
Yugur Ethnic Group
