Collective Memory of Tuyao Wedding Costumes Through Physical Practice of Wedding Ceremony Theater at Hezhou, China

Introduction: Tuyao Wedding Costumes are an important part of the traditional culture of Tuyao, as well as an important embodiment of Tuyao unique characteristics and unique culture. The costume culture of Tuyao contains an important way of transmission and development of the history and culture of the Tuyao ethnic group. The memory of Tuyao Wedding Costumes is stored in the minds of generations of Tuyao people who have experienced the wedding ceremony, forming a collective memory. This collective memory guides the generations of Tuyao people to inherit and develop the ethnic costumes.   Objective: This research aims for explore the Tuyao traditional costumes in their wedding ceremony.   Method: This study employs qualitative approach. Participant observation (PO) is employed in this research. The key informants for this research are Tuyao residence in Hezhou, China for 50 people selected by purposive sampling method. The researcher collects data by participating in Tuyao activities, observing Tuyao wedding ceremony and staying in Daming Village, Hezhou, China for more than 3 months. The data is analyzed by content and thematic analysis.   Results: The wedding dress of Tuyao consists of many symbols that interact with people in the wedding theater and the physical practice of the Tugao couples wearing the dresses maintains and transmits the social memory, and thus preserves the ethnic identity of the Tuyao. The wedding dress of Tuyao show that the wedding dress is one of cultural trait and cannot be separated from the culture. Physical practice of wearing is the symbolic system that builds up the common social memory of Tuyao people for hundreds of years and formed a solid unique identity of Tuyao.   Conclusion: The Tuyao society not only creates the structure, color and other artistic features of the wedding dress, but also creates the national identity that it brings. The wedding dress of Tuyao consists of many symbols that interact with people in the wedding theater. The wedding dress, as a cultural trait, cannot be separated from the culture. Physical practice of wearing symbolizes the common social memory of the Tuyao people for hundreds of years and formed a solid group identity.