CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Thursday, October 22, 2020 | 15 BUSINESSFOCUS Embroidery helps stitch handsome profits

Miao patterns preserve tradition, raise incomes in mountainous regions thanks to automation, craftsmanship

By ZHU WENQIAN and YANG JUN in Guiyang

Wei Zuying, a native of South­ west China’s mountainous Guiz­ hou province and a deputy to the 13th National People’s Congress, said embroidery is inherently part of the culture of the Miao ethnic group, and she hopes the skill can be passed down over gen­ erations. Wei, 40, an inheritor of an intan­ gible cultural heritage designation for embroidery, started working at a clothing factory in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, two decades ago. She worked there for more than 10 years and was deeply impressed by the modern equip­ ment and automation there, even as she was engaged in an activity traditionally reliant on manual labor. In 2011, she returned to her hometown and bought a used auto­ mated embroidery machine. With Embroidery has an initial investment of 200,000 yuan ($29,700), she opened her become a major own embroidery workshop in business in Maan. Maan village, Congjiang county, Guizhou. The streets are filled A niche has since developed for with the sound of embroidery in Congjiang. Wei and other designers now create new embroidery templates every year, and she tends machines, and to blend traditional Miao patterns with modern styles. The factory has Employees work with embroidery machines at the workshop owned by Wei Zuying, a deputy to the 13th National People’s Congress, in everyone is rushing to made it possible for impoverished Congjiang county, Guizhou province, in September. YAO XU / CHINA DAILY and from work as women in the village to both work near home and increase their they have a large incomes. arrive daily and work with number of orders to Over the years, an entrepreneuri­ machines. Some with exceptional finish.” al spirit has been growing in Maan skills can work from home and be — formerly a source of a great deal paid based on the number of pieces Wei Zuying, a native of Guizhou of migrant workers. Some former they produce. The combination of province and a deputy to the employees who worked at Wei’s mechanical and manual embroi­ 13th National People’s Congress factory have even established their dery ensures mass production and own factories and become their helps pass down skilled craftsman­ own bosses. ship,” Wei said. During the two sessions this “Embroidery has become a Serving as a deputy to the 13th year, what Wei cared about the major business in Maan. The NPC, she hopes to help more wom­ most was how can younger gener­ streets are filled with the sound of en who live in impoverished condi­ ations better understand, inherit embroidery machines, and every­ tions to master and inherit and develop national folk cul­ one is rushing to and from work as traditional embroidery skills and tures. they have a large number of orders thus make a better living and “Embroidery skills and folk songs to finish,” Wei said. enrich their lives. Inheritance and of Miao and Dong ethnic groups “Compared with manual embroi­ development of national culture is need promotion by experts and dery that requires time and her focus as a deputy, and she has scholars. More importantly, the patience, embroidery machines felt greater responsibility after tak­ younger generation needs to inherit can help quickly complete large ing the position of a national law­ and innovate their culture. It is a quantities of orders and meet maker. long­term and arduous task as demand from different customers. During the annual two sessions many young people do not pay Despite the fact that we now use in 2018, she put forward a proposal attention to such things or are not machines, traditional Miao on how to transform the advanta­ that interested in traditional cul­ embroidery culture remains the ges of national culture into advan­ An embroiderer sews patterns with a sewing machine on a traditional ribbon at Wei Zuying’s factory in ture,” Wei said. soul of these embroidered prod­ tages of industrial growth. Congjiang county, Guizhou province, in September. YAO XU / CHINA DAILY Currently, China has nearly 9,500 ucts,” she said. Last year, she put forward pro­ companies engaged in making tra­ The national culture of the Miao posals on building firefighting ditional folk costumes, with the ethnic group should not be hidden facilities in villages in less devel­ number of villagers moved to flats Zhuang autonomous region and wage is set at 1,800 yuan a month, number increasing steadily in deep in the mountains and restrict­ oped areas in Guizhou, and con­ in town from their rural homes, other areas. Wei said. recent years. More than 60 percent ed by geography, but should be pro­ structing a national highway to and they received professional The community factory is “Women who come from Congji­ of the total are small and medium­ moted to wider areas nationwide, ease travel difficulties in mountain­ training before landing jobs as expected to achieve annual output ang have attained a certain degree sized enterprises, according to data Wei added. ous regions. embroiderers. value of 10 million yuan, and it of mastery in craftsmanship since from Tianyancha, a data company In Maan, there is a traditional Most villages are now equipped They live above the factory, thus plans to pay 240 female employees they have been doing it for many providing information on Chinese custom that when girls get mar­ with fire trucks and the highway making it convenient for them to a combined 5.8 million yuan a year, years,” said Yang Liuzhen, presi­ enterprises. ried, they usually wear a new beau­ has been opened for traffic, which look after children. Wei said. dent of the women’s federation of Guizhou has more than 2,100 tifully embroidered handmade provides a road to prosperity for The 6,000­square­meter work­ Besides a brick­and­mortar store Meie community, Congjiang, who related enterprises, accounting for dress, and they will later also wear villagers and their products, shop has 26 large­scale embroidery in Congjiang that sells finished is responsible for the management the largest portion nationwide. it at major festivals. Thus, most including embroidered pieces of machines and 120 sewing embroidered pieces, the factory of Wei’s factory. Guizhou is followed by the Inner girls in the village learn the skill course. machines. It mainly produces tra­ also sells its products online “Most women would like to find a Mongolia autonomous region and from childhood, and embroidery With the support of the local gov­ ditional clothing, shoes and silver through messaging app WeChat stable job as an embroider. We give Yunnan province. has become an essential undertak­ ernment, Wei set up another ornaments unique to the Miao eth­ and mobile video app Kuaishou. them embroidery training for about ing for most locals. embroidery factory at a communi­ nic group. The products are sold to The average age of the factory a week before they become skillful Contact the writers at “At the factory, embroiderers ty in Congjiang in March. A large Guizhou, Guangdong, the Guangxi workers is 50, and their minimum enough to do the work,” Yang said. [email protected] Agricultural park to be major vegetable base for GBA

By ZHU WENQIAN and Greater Bay Area, and flavors of Previously, the agricultural sec­ ble varieties and improving indus­ YANG JUN in Guiyang some vegetables are tailored to tor in the county was small­scale trial management practices, the cater to local appetites and eating and fragmented. Since the agricul­ agricultural park has been able to In a small county in Southwest habits,” said Kong Weiwei, direct­ tural park became a reality, auto­ minimize planting costs and maxi­ China’s mountainous Guizhou prov­ or of Guiyang Agricultural Invest­ mated farming equipment has mize profits. ince, the country’s sole province ment Development. become the norm. For instance, The park has signed long­term devoid of any significant plains, a “In July, we exported about 100 some machinery can initiate irri­ cooperation agreements with 12 large­scale high­yield agricultural tons of cowpeas to Japan and South gation after automatically assess­ wholesale markets nationwide, park has witnessed solid growth this Korea. We have also exported vege­ ing soil moisture and air humidity including those in Guangzhou year, and it aims to become a major tables to Southeast Asia. Besides, we levels. and Shenzhen in Guangdong vegetable base for the Guangdong­ plan to export more products over­ By taking advantage of its sub­ province, and Chongqing, in addi­ Hong Kong­Macao Greater Bay seas,” Kong said. tropical climate, high altitude and tion to a number of local whole­ Area. Thanks to the Guiyang­ fertile soil, the agricultural park sale venues and supermarkets in The Chejiang dam vegetable base, Guangzhou high­speed railway and plants peppers, tomatoes and Guizhou. located in Rongjiang county, south­ multiple highways, Rongjiang is no pumpkins in the spring, and egg­ Meanwhile, the large­scale agri­ eastern Guizhou, utilizes gradual longer a forgotten corner of the plants, cucumbers and gourds in the cultural park has created abundant gradients and rolling hills in the country. It has become more conve­ summer. In addition, it plants high job positions for villagers. On aver­ A farmer picks passion fruit at an orchard in Rongjiang county, region for cultivation. Occupying nient for local agricultural prod­ value­added products such as pea age, about 840 people work at the Guizhou province, in September. YAO XU / CHINA DAILY 670 hectares, it is expected to see ucts to be transported to other seedlings and cabbages in the cooler park every day, with an average age annual output of 159 million yuan regions. winter months. of around 50. ($23.6 million) in 2020. Eyeing the creation of even more With higher average tempera­ Shi Jingzhu, 35, used to be a three children as she works close to fertilization and spraying. This year has seen the facility convenient transportation and giv­ tures than other regions in the migrant worker. After the agricul­ home. “I have planted multiple kinds of become a driving force to lead the en the region’s advantageous natu­ country, vegetables such as toma­ tural park was founded, she went Wu Guowen is a technician vegetables before and gained ample deeply impoverished county to ral conditions, the Rongjiang toes and peppers can hit the mar­ back to her hometown and started working at the agricultural park. experience. I also attended profes­ prosperity. county government and the Gui­ ket in March, which is earlier working at the greenhouse tending Before, he had been a small­scale sional training on a regular basis “So far this year, we have provid­ yang Agricultural Investment Devel­ than those produced elsewhere, the vegetables. By working eight to farmer for more than two decades. after working here. Now, the vegeta­ ed more than 4,000 metric tons of opment company plan to invest a and can thus command higher nine hours a day, she can make 120 Now, he manages about 20 hec­ ble varieties are hybrids with higher vegetables such as peppers, total of 500 million yuan over time prices. yuan daily. It has also become more tares of land and is responsible for yields. My income has also cucumbers and tomatoes to the in building the agricultural park. By purposefully selecting vegeta­ convenient for her to look after her field management tasks such as increased,” Wu said.