Iche is a Chinese ethnic group (6 photos)

There are many different ethnic groups (minorities) in China, which are very difficult for a European to learn! Even more than Slavic ethnic groups, many times over. But some are really striking, for example, the Iche ethnic group. Mainly due to outrageous traditions, for example, allowing men to touch women's breasts on holidays and much, much more.





Very bold shorts, yes, but look at the cauldrons on their heads!

Who are these Iche?

In fact, this is a sub-branch of another group - the Hani, who have retained many of the old customs. It is funny that despite all their adherence to old habits, it was the Iche who were the first in the country whose women began to wear mini-shorts.

There are 20 thousand people in the Iche "tribe" in total, they live in large groups in the Yunnan province in southwest China.

They traditionally wear pointed white cloth hats, indigo-colored clothes and bare their legs all year round. And because strong and healthy legs are, so to speak, the "face of the bride." Everyone here is engaged in agriculture and lives in the mountains, so strong legs are literally everything for the Iche people. The thicker and more muscular a girl's legs are, the hotter she is.



Girls show off their strong legs. And really strong

And when mini-shorts came into fashion in the world, the Iche girls were the first to happily pick up the trend and encourage everyone to do the same. It turns out, the bravest in the country.

Mini-shorts in black or dark blue are popular here. They are carefully adjusted so that they fit tightly to the hips. Usually they are sewn by the women themselves in accordance with their figure.





Men's traditional outfits are much more closed, but it would be funny if they also wore shorts

The funniest thing is that in this nation it is customary to express the wealth of the family through the amount of clothing (the more, the more successful). And how else to show off your legs? So the girls adjust the front of their shorts in seven folds to create the illusion of wearing seven pairs at the same time.

Unusual marriage traditions

Not only shorts, the marriage traditions here are also very peculiar.

Here a girl can have an engagement in the first weeks after birth. But this does not prevent her from falling in love and having affairs with the person she chooses in the future. The engagement does not impose an obligation of fidelity on her.



Notice the shorts gathered in the front

The houses of the Iche people are even specially built so that they have a small extra room on the side. Girls move there after 14 years old so that they can bring their boyfriend there and live like adults.

And if the girl likes another guy, and not her betrothed from the engagement, she can easily reschedule the wedding with another.

And then get divorced and marry a second, third time. And each time the cost of the ransom for her will only double. There is a saying here "the more times a Yiche woman gets married, the richer she becomes." Although, perhaps, such a property qualification is so that they do not jump out to get married five times because of exorbitant ransoms.



A girl with a husband, a lover.... what difference does it make? There is no difference to anyone

Moreover, you can maintain relations with your lover even in marriage, but - until you have children. As soon as a child is born, you are obliged to stop all outside relations and take care of the house. Quite logical, albeit very strange.

A very strange greeting

And you can touch your breasts on the day of the Gunyang festival or Girls' Day. These are such collective viewings, where girls dance to show off their strong legs and endurance. And at this festival, a man can touch her.

And sometimes when a man and a woman meet on mountain trails, you can touch your breasts - this is a version of a mountain greeting.



They have quite a nice rural village

Even married women have a local saying: "The left breast belongs to the husband, and the right breast belongs to the whole world." And they live, and globalization does not prevent them from maintaining their traditions.