Humans of China: "My Father Taught Me How to Cut Hair Using a Sickle When I Was 12 Years Old"

This article comes from Humans of China (WeChat ID: humans-of-china), which aims to document and tell the stories of the many varied people of this vast country, one individual at a time.

My father taught me how to cut hair using a sickle when I was 12 years old. Fifty-three years on and I’m one of just a handful of men here who can still cut hair this way. My sickle is also 53 years old – my father gave it to me when he first started to teach me. I am trying to pass on this dying tradition and I have recently been teaching some young boys here, but as time passes, the younger generation become less interested.

Our ancestors didn’t have scissors and the only way they could cut hair was with tools that they also used for farming. We do have scissors now but we try and keep old traditions alive.

To cut someone’s hair, first I’ll rub their scalp with warm water; no soap or lather is needed. I make sure the sickle is sharp enough, then I’ll tie their ponytail out of the way and start cutting. It takes me around a minute to cut someone's hair.

Young boys and men here have had ponytails for generations and in order to attend funerals, weddings, and other important festivals we must have a ponytail. Also, the government gives money to the men who keep them. We are the only branch of Miao with hair like this. It’s also there to represent our ancestors and it helps us keep their memories alive.

In the last few years, more and more tourists have been visiting us to see the way that we live as we still carry guns and are very traditional overall. Sometimes I can cut tourists' hair, which is one way to make some extra money. Within our village, however, I cut hair for free and don’t need or want my clients to pay me. As for my own hair, my younger brother helps me cut it.

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Photos: Cameron Hack