"In the future, I will inherit the embroidering skills, and I will help more women embroiderers get jobs and/or start their businesses. We will use our fingertips to create happy, prosperous lives," says Ding Lanying, a delegate to the 13th National Women's Congress of China.
Ding was born into an ethnic Yi family in Hongtupo, a town in Nanhua, a county in Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, in Southwest China's Yunnan Province. She learned to embroider, from her mother, at an early age. "Yi women are able to use needles and make embroideries when we are young. The embroidering skills are in our blood," says Ding.
In 2014, Ding opened an embroidery workshop. In 2021, she established Nanhua Qicai Yi Embroidery Cultural Communication Co., Ltd. During the past couple of years, the company's Yi embroideries have been exported to many countries and regions. In September 2023, some creations featuring Yi embroidery, produced by Ding's company, wowed spectators during Milan Fashion Week, in Italy.
Ding for years has led villagers in using their fingertips to achieve prosperity. She offers Yi embroidery training sessions to women in Nanhua. She also helps rural women find jobs, and achieve prosperity by making embroideries.
In 2014, China added Yi costumes to the list of the country's items of intangible cultural heritage. Ding is a provincial-level inheritor of Yi costumes. She encourages people to inherit the embroidering skills.
(Women of China)
32.3KPlease understand that womenofchina.cn,a non-profit, information-communication website, cannot reach every writer before using articles and images. For copyright issues, please contact us by emailing: [email protected]. The articles published and opinions expressed on this website represent the opinions of writers and are not necessarily shared by womenofchina.cn.
Online reading or offline clubs? Young Chinese embrace both in digital era
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is the image of glamour in a flowing white gown
Pedo school cop shoots himself dead after high
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands braves the wind in a very eye
I visited the most crowded island on Earth
Yokohama reaches Asian Champions League final by beating Ulsan in penalty shootout 5
With lawsuits in rearview mirror, Disney World government gets back to being boring
1 person was arrested after 3 people were injured in a 'major incident' at a Welsh school
Inquiry slams UK authorities for failures that killed thousands in infected blood scandal
The family of imprisoned Belarusian opposition figure hasn't heard from her for over 400 days