Royal guard, Yongning, 1928

yongning soldier, originally uploaded by mutikonka1.

A royal guard of Yongning. Red lacquered pigskin armor such as this is thought to have been worn by warriors since the 13th century.

[Many of the Yongning people ae Mongols, descended form the soldiers of Kublai Khan who came here to restore order in the 13th century.)