Across China. Traditional crafts weave new livelihoods for women in NW China
- Chris McMillan
- Nov 13, 2024
- 1 min read
China Daily
11th November 2024
Across China. Traditional crafts weave new livelihoods for women in NW China
In an intangible cultural heritage employment workshop in Xiji County, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, several women sit around tables, busy making embroidery patterns.
Fifty-year-old Lei Chunhua, one of the embroiderers, secures a shoe sole in front of her, and a few colorful threads weave gracefully through her fingers, gradually revealing the intricate pattern of handmade slippers.
Lei used to be a farmer, and the thought of making a living through embroidery never crossed her mind. Then a few years ago, she had a major operation that left her unable to work in the fields.
By chance, she joined the company founded by Shi Manyi, an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage for Ningxia embroidery, to learn the craft.
"Our employees are mainly women left behind in rural areas, farmers and some people living with disabilities," said Zhao Jing, daughter of Shi and general manager of Xiji County Rural Cultural Creative Industry Co., Ltd. "The wages are calculated per piece, making the work schedule highly flexible. They can come to the workshop when they have free time or take materials home to work."
Through making and selling handicrafts, the company provides employment opportunities and a way to boost incomes for those who would otherwise be without work.
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