Around the northern part of Guilin, a tourist city, there live quite a number of Yao compatriots. When you enter the Pan Yao village in the northwest mountain hollow, you will see that no matter how old or young, Yao women wear an exquisite and beautiful triangular hat with the same style, which is regarded as sacred. The origin of this decoration spreads a touching story.
It is said that Pan Yao has been living in the deep mountains and forests since ancient times, making a living by hunting and planting mountain goods. Once, the men went up the mountain to hunt, leaving only a woman with a child who had just learned to walk at home. On that night, a tiger intruded into the Yao village and walked under the window of her house, ready to break in to find food. At that time, the Yao family was poor and had no quilts. She was sitting by the fire pit roasting fire while burning the stove. Suddenly, she heard a big sound from the window. Looking up, she saw a spotted tiger about to pounce into the room. She immediately hid her child and turned around to pick up a wooden stick, hoe, and scraper to throw at the tiger. Not only did the tiger not run away, but it also broke through the window and was about to jump into the house. The woman gathered her courage, rushed to the fireplace, grabbed the red-hot tripod, and forcefully threw it at the tiger. Coincidentally, the scorching hot tripod landed squarely on the tiger's head. The red-hot iron tripod burned the tiger's fur and skin, scalding it even more painfully than being pricked by three forks. The tiger fled for its life. Since then, the tripod has become not only the master of the Yao family but also a god of good fortune that drives away evil and avoids disasters for the Yao family. It is said that when Yao women wear triangular hats resembling tripods, tigers are scared away when they see them walking in the deep mountains and wild ridges. The triangular hat can drive away evil spirits and subdue monsters when worn by Yao women, so the triangular hat has become one of the important decorative costumes for Pan Yao women.