Guizhou is home to 13 of the 60 ethnic minorities officially recognized in China, and its "Gallery of Ethnic Minorities" is one of the main draws for tourists to visit the province. According to statistics, the ethnic minorities celebrate over 1000 festivals a year, which are invariably colorful events as the minority people don traditional costumes to celebrate the festivals.

The Miao is the largest ethnic minority group in Guizhou. There are many different groups of Miao with their own distinct costumes, dialects and custom, and they are usually called by names which are descriptive of or related to the women's dressing or hairstyle. Thus, there are Black, Red and White Miao, Long-Horned Miao, Tall-Pointed Hat Miao, Big and Small Flowery Miao, etc. The 2000 national census of China put the total Miao population at more than seven million spread throughout seven provinces; over half of this total resides in Guizhou.