Durable threads

"In the late 1980s, when I just got married, in my village during the non-farming season, you would see women, young and old, sewing everywhere - on their doorsteps, under trees, some even cradling babies," says Song.

The turning point for Song came in 1988 when she realized the craft that she was so proud of was in jeopardy. At the time, she heard about a foreign buyer trying to purchase a piece of the embroidery for 10 times the listed price. Song thought both about the fear of losing the craft and its staggering value. It was then that she decided to do whatever she could to preserve the heritage passed down from her ancestors.

Her plan is multi-pronged - she collects, sews and sells.

She began by purchasing vintage pieces from local households in an effort to establish a private museum for the craft, which she succeeded in doing in 2010. In 1998, she rallied a team of capable Shui women to sew embroidered pieces and floral sachets that used to be sold in streets stalls to sell at Song's boutique store in the county. In 2010, she founded her own company and ventured to lay prints of the embroidery on luxury clothing and handbags.