Author(s)

Wang Zhuo ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Cultural Heritage, Sapienza University of Rome, RM 00185, Italy

Corresponding Author

Wang Zhuo

ABSTRACT

The ethnic costumes of the Mongolian people are the material carriers of the historical memory, aesthetic concepts and spiritual beliefs of the northern nomadic ethnic groups. The patterns and colors within them constitute a highly condensed cultural symbol system. This article systematically interprets the cultural symbols in the ethnic costumes of the Mongolian people by focusing on three core dimensions: pattern types, color systems and symbolic meanings. The article begins with animal patterns, geometric patterns and plant patterns, analyzing the form characteristics and composition rules of each type of pattern, and revealing the modeling logic derived from nomadic life and natural observation; it also explores the high purity, strong contrast features of the color system and the cultural encoding functions of colors in indicating age, status and occasions; and comprehensively interprets the symbolic system formed by patterns and colors. The research shows that the patterns and colors of the Mongolian ethnic costumes are not merely decorative; they constitute a complete visual language that records the nomadic people's understanding of the relationship among heaven, earth and man, and are facing the dual situations of symbol extraction and meaning reconstruction in contemporary society. 

KEYWORDS

Inner Mongolian ethnic costumes; cultural symbols; patterns; colors; symbolic meanings

CITE THIS PAPER

Wang Zhuo. Interpretation of Cultural Symbols in Inner Mongolian Ethnic Clothing: Patterns, Colors and Symbolic Meanings. Journal of Sociology and Ethnology (2026). Vol. 8, No.2, 22-29. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/jsoce.2026.080204.

REFERENCES

[1] Baioud G. Producing authenticity: Ethnic costumes in contemporary Inner Mongolia[J]. Inner Asia, 2021, 23(1): 150-173.
[2] Liu X X. The Study on the Aesthetic Characteristics of Ujimqin Costume[J]. Literature, Language and Cultural Studies, 2026, 4(1): 71-84.
[3] Wei L. A preliminary study of Mongol costumes in the Ming dynasty[J]. Social Sciences in China, 2018, 39(1): 165-185.
[4] Wang J. Research on the Evolution of Mongolian Traditional Clothing from the Perspective of Multicultural Integration [D]. Central University of Nationalities, 2023.
[5] Zhang P. Research on Mongolian Clothing under the Revitalization Plan of Traditional Chinese Crafts [D]. Changchun University of Technology, 2021.
[6] Han S. Research on the Development of Ethnic Minority Clothing Industry in Inner Mongolia and Northeast Region [J]. China Business Forum, 2017, (02): 124-126.
[7] Bayar N. A discourse of civilization/culture and nation/ethnicity from the perspective of inner Mongolia, China[J]. Asian Ethnicity, 2014, 15(4): 439-457.
[8] Bai G H. Performing linguistic and cultural authenticity: Contemporary Mongolian wedding ceremonies in Inner Mongolia[D]. Australia: Macquarie University, 2017.

Sponsors, Associates, and Links

---

• Journal of Language Testing & Assessment
  
  
• Information and Knowledge Management
  
  
• Military and Armament Science
  
  
• Media and Communication Research
  
  
• Journal of Human Movement Science
  
  
• Art and Performance Letters
  
  
• Lecture Notes on History
  
  
• Lecture Notes on Language and Literature
  
  
• Philosophy Journal
  
  
• Science of Law Journal
  
  
• Journal of Political Science Research
  
  
• Advances in Broadcasting