China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Threading tradition into the present day Traditional craft of the Yi ethnic group enjoys a strong renaissance
Since her childhood, when she would watch her mother at work, Luo Jun has been pursuing her ambition to preserve the traditional embroidery of the Yi ethnic group and bring real benefits to her fellow embroiderers in Yunnan province.
“Embroidering has been part of my family for generations, like many other families in Yi communities. My mother was highly skilled in Yi-style needlework and costume-making. Her work formed my first impressions of beauty,” Luo said.
Locals have a saying that Yi women can embroider as long as they have a needle and thread.
However, Yi people have another custom; children should burn the embroidery of their mothers after they pass away.
“When my mom told me that, I burst into tears and wanted to keep the traditional craft alive,” she said. “So, like many other Yi girls, I started to learn embroidery.”
Luo also understood that a love of needlework would not enough to keep the skill alive. She would have to find another way. So she started a company.
The company, focusing on Yi-style embroidery products, was established in 2009.
Local women get paid for their embroidery and the raw materials are provided by the company, which provides the necessary training and then sells the products.
By starting her own business, Luo, chairman of the Miyilu Ethnic Costume Co., has managed to fulfill her ambition and at the same time given an opportunity to local women to make a living through their needlework, and in turn pass on the traditional skills to another generation.
Helping others
Many people living in mountainous regions have few ways to make living aside from farming.
But after training, embroiderers can earn as much as 70,000 yuan ($11,100) a year working for her company, an exceptionally high salary for people living in mountainous Dayao county in the Chuxiong Yi autonomous prefecture, one of the country’s two prefectures for the ethnic group.
In 2010, only 36 women joined the company so Luo started to organize training to inform women about the skill and the demand for the embroidery.
In the first few years, the company did not turn a profit. At that time, even Luo herself had little concept of “making a product”. But her passion drove her on.
And the business grew, with more local women joining. But selling the pieces was still difficult.
“Embroiderers know how but they don’t know how to said.
But she persevered. After conducting research and surveys, the company discovered to make, sell,” Luo market want.
The company then started to offer training courses on new patterns and designs. Meanwhile, more products were offered, ranging from pillows, wallets to decorations for vehicles.
The company’s strategy finally paid off. Now more than 3,000 embroiderers work for the company and its revenues were more about their potential and what customers might more than 20 million yuan last year, a year-on-year increase of more than 25 percent.
Long process of transformation
Liang Bofa, a sales manager of Miyilu’s branch in Kunming, the provincial capital, proudly displays a piece of embroidery, about 4 meters in length and 1 meter wide. “Camellias are embroidered on this piece, which usually takes more than two embroiderers more than a year to make,” he said.
Liang explains that the camellia is a popular flower among the Yi people, but such a big piece is extremely rare. “Embroidery needs patience and persistence, otherwise the works will not be beautiful and will not be accepted by buyers,” he said.
Luo said women of the Yi ethnic group were “born with the gene to make beautiful artwork”, but the fact that every woman has her own view about beauty made it a long and difficult process to make the embroidery a commercial prospect.
For example, Yi people favor natural colors such as dark red and green. However, many potential customers prefer less-dominant hues.
Therefore, training and quality control are necessary to ensure the embroidery can be sold.
For Luo, if the traditional craft is to survive, it has to accept the latest fashion trends.
New role
Luo’s contribution in promoting and saving ethnic culture and increasing income for her workers has won her recognition. In January, she was elected a deputy to the 13th National People’s Congress, the only one in her county.
The new identity started a new phase in her life.
“Behind me are thousands of embroiderers and inheritors of intangible cultural heritage. So I must speak for them, calling for more support to prolong our traditional arts and techniques,” Luo said.
Before the NPC annual session in March, Luo surveyed many embroiderers in Dayao’s Tanhua township. She found some young embroiderers were uncertain about the future.
Therefore, Luo was especially interested in sections of the Government Work Report on the development of ethnic culture and micro-sized enterprises.
During the congress, she suggested that more support should be given to small enterprises in the cultural sector as well as industries based on intangible ethnic cultural heritages.
Brands should be made for these industries related to ethnic culture, she wrote in the suggestions. Following her return to Dayao after the NPC session concluded, Luo propagated key policies for her company, local communities and among some local officials.
“Many people paid attention to the sessions and I explained more about key agendas such as the constitutional amendment,” Luo said with pride.
“As a deputy from a border area, I will focus on rural affairs, including poverty alleviation. I will strive to be voice for local people, so they get more attention and support as a deputy elected by local people,” she added.