Visit our online Artifacts Catalog: trocadero.com/ethnic/

Providing an overview of knowledge and information about China, highlighting the culture, history, artifacts, and textiles of the Chinese ethnic minorities as reflected in both ritual and daily life. Commonly grouped under the terms Tribal Arts or Primitive Arts  by collectors, these objects frequently reflect a level of craftsmanship and sophistication unequaled in Western civilizations. My own contacts have been predominately with the Miao, Dong, Yi and Yao ethnic minority groups. 

 
I am very grateful for their patience in answering my many questions.   

Whenever I am in China, my close friend Jessy acts as translator,  a difficult and time-consuming task. Most ethnic minorities have  their own language and often their own regional dialects.  Some know Mandarin as a second language. It is common for our discussions to involve 3 languages.

About us:   Susan Weitzman Conway and Jessy (Yingbo) Zhang

Chinese culture past and present:

• Brief History of Ethnic MinoritiesBull Fighting - Minority Style
• Western Myths about Chinese Culture
• Traditional Chinese Symbols
• Origin of Spring Festival-Legend

Ethnic Minority Textiles:



• Embroidery stories               Myths, Legends, and Symbols
• A mother's heart                  The Ethnic Minority Baby Carrier
• Costumes                            Baby Carrier

            The Pleated Skirts

Photo Galleries



• Terrace fields of LongJi
• Photos from Miao Minority Photographer San Mei
• Photos from Dong Minority Photographer MeiXiang

Additional topics

Chinese language: written Calligraphy

Architecture :     Home Building and Construction techniques:  

Travel journal pages: travel to Songpan

Exhibition at the Birmingham Museum of Art

My favorite: Reference Books