By Cao Wenxuan, People’s Daily
Traditional Li textile techniques: spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidering were added by UNESCO to its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, according to the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage held on Dec. 5.
The techniques were already included in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2009.
Tan Zhaoyan, who lives in Wuzhishan, south China’s Hainan province was quite excited about the news.
The traditional textile techniques of spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidering of the Li ethnic group refer to the traditional techniques adopted by Li women in Hainan province to make clothes and other articles of daily use with natural fibers such as cotton and flax. Textile made with these techniques are known as “Li embroidery.”
Under the influence of her grandmother and mother, Tan, born in the 1990s, learned these techniques at a young age. However, her grandmother and mother would still be concerned sometimes about the declining interest among young people in learning these traditional skills.
Upon graduating from university, Tan found herself at a crossroads, torn between pursuing a conventional career path and preserving the heritage of Li textile techniques. In 2015, she decided to return home and establish a Li embroidery studio, dedicating herself to the preservation and transmission of these invaluable skills.
Her studio was a 10-square meter room with a loom and a sewing machine. Tan and her mother were the only employees.
Despite the rough start, Tan’s business soon thrived. As China sped up efforts to protect intangible cultural heritage, protection and training facilities of Li textile techniques sprung up, and Tan were always busy weaving, selling and negotiating with partners.
“I found there were more people interested in these techniques, and some villagers even wanted to join my studio,” Tan told People’s Daily.
In 2019, she set up a Li embroidery culture company, whose sales volume exceeded 700,000 yuan ($96,130) last year.
In addition to the significant efforts dedicated to safeguarding Li textile techniques, Tan attributed the success of her business to another key factor. As she showcased a video on her mobile phone featuring models flaunting garments adorned with Li embroidery elements on the runway at this year’s Paris Fashion Week, Tan emphasized the impact of this additional reason.
In order to make Li textile techniques more modern and international, an international Li embroidery training program was hosted by the Wuzhishan municipal government and Istituto Marangoni, a private Italian school of fashion and design in August last year.
The program selected 30 Li textile artisans from Hainan and offered them free training for two years. Tan was among the 30 selected.
“Leather making and Li textile techniques can spark a unique synergy,” Tan remarked. “Variations in pattern size can also exude distinct beauty.”
In the classroom, renowned foreign designers introduced new concepts, inspiring Tan to draw inspiration from her surroundings. “For a homework assignment, I crafted accessories using beads that collected from grass and wove them into a waistband. It didn’t take long for a tourist to spot and purchase it in the store,” Tan said.
In early September this year, when Tan learned of the opportunity to participate in the Paris Fashion Week, she felt a mix of nervousness and excitement.
“After receiving the design sketches from the designer, we needed to fill the design papers and verify relevant information, and then distribute them to local weavers,” Tan said.
Within just two weeks, the Li textile artisans from Hainan provided 10 patterns and nearly 30 fabric samples. Ultimately, the Li textile garments they designed became a hit during the Paris Fashion Week.
“International exchange activities not only introduce Li embroidery and culture to more people, but also allow inheritors of intangible cultural heritage to absorb and incorporate new design concepts, infuse fashion into their works, and keep the Li textile techniques up-to-date,” said Wang Yuzhao, deputy director of the Wuzhishan cultural center.
Since last year, Wuzhishan has dispatched four groups totaling 69 intangible cultural heritage professionals to showcase intangible cultural heritage clothing and skills at the Milan Fashion Week in Italy, as well as to participate in tourism and cultural promotion activities in Singapore and Malaysia.
These international occasions brought market benefits to Li embroidery. Soon after the Paris Fashion Week concluded, Tan received a cooperation invitation from a company outside Hainan, with a plan to produce 1,500 pieces of Li embroidery.
“I’ve been rushing to finish orders recently, hoping that Li embroidery will be seen and loved by more people,” Tan said.
“Li embroidery is hailed as the ‘living fossil’ of China’s textile industry,” said an official with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television, and Sports of Hainan Province. According to the official, five 300-square-meter Li embroidery craftsmanship centers and 16 villages for the inheritance of the techniques have been established in six cities and counties.
The number of inheritors has grown to over 20,000, and more than 100 primary and secondary schools in the province have introduced practical courses on Li textile techniques.
Meanwhile, Hainan province is formulating a five-year action plan (2025-2029) for the protection and development of traditional Li textile techniques of spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidering, aiming to comprehensively enhance the protection and inheritance of these techniques and further advance their industrial development.
