Chinese handicrafts alive and kicking in Guangxi, China-Asean trade expo host
The deep colours of Zhuang embroidery were proudly celebrated at a recent arts and culture festival held in Nanning, in southwest China, whose profile will be raised by a regional trade summit later this year
For those who think traditional Chinese handicrafts are out of fashion, meet Lan Ling, whose embroidery skills have helped lift her out of poverty.
“My grandparents taught me to embroider. Our village in Mashan county is poor. I do the needlework for several hours a day and earn several thousand [yuan] a month now,” says the 45-year-old, who is a member of the Zhuang ethnic group. “The work allows for flexible working hours. Many women in our village do it while taking care of their children.
“Our designs signify good luck, fertility and everlasting love. A handmade design takes half a month to make,” Lan says.
She was among 60 villagers from the county promoting Zhuang Art Lan – a company that sells embroidered furniture and decorations – at a recent arts and culture carnival held at Folk Song Lake in Nanning, in China’s southern Guangxi province.
