(Xiaokang China) She used embroidery needles to lead Shenshan 600 embroidered women on the international stage
China News Service, Hezhou, September 8th, title: She used embroidery needles to lead Shenshan 600 Embroidery Women on the international stage
Author Jiang Xuelin Hu Yongling
She originally loved photography and was not very interested in needlework, but after walking 20,000 kilometers and photographing traditional Yao costumes in the five provinces of Guangxi, Guangdong, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Hunan, she took up needlework and inherited the tradition of Yao embroidery. Important task.
She is the inheritor of the representative project of national intangible cultural heritage (Yao costume), and Li Sufang, a senior folk craftsman in Guangxi.
Li Sufang was born in 1979 in the inheritance home of "Intangible Cultural Heritage". His mother, Li Xiaolian, is the inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage project (Yao costume) and was awarded the title of "Guangxi Arts and Crafts Master".
Li Xiaolian hopes that Li Sufang can become the inheritor of Yao embroidery.
However, things backfired. After graduating from technical secondary school in 1998, Li Sufang chose to work in Hangzhou, Zhejiang instead of taking up her mother's career.
After 7 years of working in Hangzhou, Li Sufang returned to his hometown in Hezhou, Guangxi.
She loves photography and has always wanted to find opportunities to learn photography techniques.
In 2007, Liang Hanchang, a well-known photographer from Guangxi and the author of the series of large-scale ethnic literature photography albums of "The National Museum without Walls", went to Hezhou to collect the scenery. Li Sufang, who is proficient in Yao embroidery and speaks Yao dialect, was recommended as a photography guide. Since then, Li Sufang has studied photography with Liang Hanchang , Began to shoot traditional Yao costumes in the five provinces of Guangxi, Guangdong, Yunnan, Guizhou and Hunan.
This photographic journey not only allowed Li Sufang to gain love, but also completely changed the trajectory of his life.
During the photography journey, she and Liang Hanchang's friend and photographer Liu De dared to move from acquaintance to love.
After taking tens of thousands of photos of Yao costumes, Li Sufang was conquered by the colorful Yao costumes. She resolutely accepted Liang Hanchang and Liu Degan’s suggestions, went back to her hometown to pick up needles and threads, and started to work with Yao embroidery day and night. wonderful Life.
"The wonderful patterns on Yao costumes are handed down from generations to generations. Each pattern has a meaning in it. This is the root of Yao culture. In order to meet the needs of modern young people, in the process of innovation, I did not change the pattern. The styling only changes its material and color, and makes Yao embroidery into daily necessities, such as ladies' bags and accessories." Li Sufang said.
Li Sufang communicated with people who bought Yao costumes.
Photo by Jiang Xuelin
This change is very popular among young people.
The various styles of Yao costumes produced by Li Sufang were sold back to the Yao villages and became the must-wear costumes for the Yao people’s wedding and worship ceremonies.
In 2016, Li Sufang’s two embroidery designs, "Yao Embroidery—The Seal of the King of the Yao Ethnic Group" and “Yao Embroidery—There Are Fish Every Year” were solicited by the United Nations Development Program and used for the decoration of the United Nations business notebooks to be given to politicians from all over the world. .
From this, Hezhou Yao embroidery has stepped onto the world stage.
After Li Sufang's success in his career, he did not forget his fellow villagers and elders, and established Guangxi Guoshan Yaojia Cultural and Creative Development Co., Ltd., adopting the development model of "company + base + farmer households" to promote home employment for many local poor households and returning migrant workers , The per capita annual income is more than 5,000 yuan.
Li Sufang introduced that more than 600 Yao embroiderers under her leadership used their spare time to embroider. Not only did they get rid of poverty, their embroidery products were also exported to the United States, France, Vietnam and other countries as well as China's Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan regions.
At present, Li Sufang is trying to revitalize the countryside with the national cultural industry.
In her hometown of Huangshi Village, Butou Town, Babu District, Hezhou City, Guangxi, she built the "Yao Costume and Embroidery Skill Inheritance Base" that integrates cultural creativity, tourism, and Yao embroidery experience. Here is a display of precious Yao costumes that Li Sufang found from all over the country. And embroidered pieces, these unique old objects, make visitors amazed.
While developing and innovating Yao clothing culture, Li Sufang also made many friends.
Her skill has won her a friendship across the strait.
Through embroidery, Li Sufang and Wu Yizhen, a Taiwan compatriot in Guangfu Township, Hualien County, Taiwan, became good sisters who talked about everything.
Wu Yizhen has been to Hezhou many times to celebrate the traditional festival "March 3" in Guangxi, and Li Sufang has also been invited to visit Hualien.
"Through Yao costumes, we communicated with Yao people living in the United States, Vietnam, and France to discuss the inheritance and development of Yao culture." Li Sufang said that her mother established a WeChat group with Yao people in the United States, France and Vietnam. , Often sing folk songs in the group.
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