Yao has many branches, including Pan Yao, Guo Shanyao, Roof Yao, Hualan Yao, Baiku Yao, Landian Yao, Yao Hongyao and Bapai Yao. After the founding of New China, it was collectively called Yao.
Yao nationality has its own language, belonging to the Sino-Tibetan Miao Yao language family. Due to the complexity of language branches and the huge differences between different languages, Chinese or Zhuang language is widely used in Yao areas, and there is no national language.
The ancestors of Yao nationality are generally considered to be a part of Wu Lingren in Changsha in Qin and Han Dynasties, or originated from "Wuxi people".
Yao's religious beliefs vary from place to place, including nature worship, ancestor worship and totem worship. Some areas also believe in witchcraft and Taoism.
The architectural styles of Yao folk houses are diverse, among which the most distinctive is the wooden structure. The wooden building is surrounded by mountains and waters, with the front low and the back high, in all directions. Mulou is generally divided into three floors: the first floor is hung downstairs to enclose livestock; People live on the second floor; The third floor stores food and goods. This wooden building doesn't have a nail, but it is very strong. Indoor sunshine, air circulation, very comfortable.
Yao costumes are often decorated with five-color silk embroidery, which is called "Yao Hao Five-color Clothes" in ancient times. Yao women's headdresses are the most exquisite, including the shape of "dragon plate", that is, wearing embroidered towels more than ten meters long on their heads; There is an "A" shape, made of embroidered towels, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, and then tied with various wool and colored beads; There is also a "half moon bud" shape, with three "half moon" silver medals placed on the top of the head ... headdresses are numerous.
Yao men's and women's coats are colorful, including flowers, birds, fish, insects, geometric patterns and figures ... There are two kinds of collar, double-breasted and unbuttoned, and they wear trousers, shorts, cloth skirts and embroidered skirts. Leggings are indispensable in Yao men's wear. It's all leggings, and it's beautiful.
Yao people live on rice, sweet potatoes and taro, and like to drink sweet wine. Whenever a guest comes to the door, the host presents a glass of sweet wine first. There is also a kind of sweet wine that Yao women drink when they are confinement, which is different from ordinary sweet wine. You need ginger slices, brown sugar and eggs when cooking, which is a good tonic. Drinking this sweet wine for women in confinement can achieve the effects of strengthening the body, enriching blood and restoring health. Yao folk literature is very rich. Milotuo is a famous epic of creation. Song of King Pan shows a vast picture of national history and cultural life. On the other hand, the Chinese manuscript "Comment on Imperial Vouchers" records the origin, migration, farming and other contents of the nation, which has important historical value.