Miao embroidery embarks on road to future

Miao embroidery works. [Photo by Qiao Hong/chinadaily.com.cn]

The woman wearing a traditional cap and a silver dress symbolizes the colorful details of the Chinese Miao village through aesthetic embroidery. She is focused on the inheritance and continuation of the Miao culture.

She and other women reveal the struggle and path of Sansui's poverty alleviation program. Sansui is a county in Guizhou province of western China.

When the visual feast of colorful Miao embroidery caught the attention of tourists, the locals came to the scene and slowly opened a chapter of national cultural history.

Miao embroidery is a well-known representation of Chinese culture, which is not only the combination of aesthetics and culture, but also the love of the Miao people to their hometown. 

They embroider their love and nostalgia of their hometown and wear them on their clothes.

Miao embroidery is life of the Miao people. Almost every family has embroidery artisans. They all dress in embroidered clothes.

Miao embroidery inheritor Wan Meidu and her work. [Photo by Qiao Hong/chinadaily.com.cn]

Miao embroidery is also an essential dowry for Miao girls when they marry.

The Miao embroidery works convey auspiciousness, and also contain the wishes and hopes of the Miao people for their future life.

Miao girls pass on the embroidery skills from generation to generation, but nowadays the inheritance of Miao embroidery craftsmanship is facing challenges.

Wan Meidu, who has won many Miao embroidery awards, said: "I want this craftsmanship not to be lost.”

She has been learning embroidery since she was 6-year-old and has become a local celebrity, who is capable of doing all sorts of sophisticated embroidery. 

"I'm trying hard to train basic skills to the villagers who are interested in learning Miao embroidery," said Wan. 

Moreover, the local government organizes regular training. It not only invites local artisans, but also embroidery teachers with different skills to conduct overall and innovative training.

Women create embroidery works. [Photo by Qiao Hong/chinadaily.com.cn]

In order to encourage more people to participate in the embroidery inheritance, the local government also provides embroidery machines and materials.

Miao embroidery has also brought sustained and stable income to the poor people. Under the cooperation of the government and e-commerce companies, Miao embroidery is sold online and offline.

The women have to take care of the family for most of the time, and do embroidery in their leisure time. 

For the women, they can earn anywhere from 500 yuan to more than 1,000 yuan. 

"Wang's Hand Creation" is a hand-made embroidery shop in Taobao with 615,000 fans from all over China.

The exquisite embroidery that consumers buy online is usually created by Sansui women. 

Adhering to the traditional Miao embroidery skills and culture, they combine the emerging trends and practical functions to spread the Miao embroidery culture to the whole country.

Qiao Hong contributed to the story