Unsurprisingly, Pan did not miss the bazaar in Beijing this year.
Speaking about the event, Pan, dressed in a traditional blue Miao costume with a red headscarf, matching silver hairpin and big, round earrings, said: "The sun represents the boy, and the moon represents the girl. They got married and the human was created.
"I can't write this, but I will pass on this legend through by embroidery."
Meanwhile, colorful embroidered shoes lay on a table next to her, and she cut paper into different shapes - a phoenix, a camellia, a rape flower, a Buddha and Chinese characters that symbolize good luck. Asked what she is doing, she said the paper-cutouts were molds for the patterns on shoes.
As for how her life had changed, she said: "We no longer have to look for a job in another city to support our families. Staying at home, embroidery workers can take care of the elderly and children while working. And the finished product can be sold through the bazaar."
Speaking at the start of this year's event, Xu Guanglei, from Beijing Parkview Green, the co-founder of the bazaar, said: "Today, Remote Mountain Bazaar returned to where it began. And I am very pleased to see that the bazaar has changed the fate of many female embroidery workers. I believe that the traditional craftsmanship of our country will go far, and an increasing number of craftspeople will walk out of the mountains and earn wealth with their own hands."
Xia hopes that when people visit Dali again, they will not only see the beautiful natural landscape of the city, but also experience the charm of local customs and traditional handicraft. And she hopes that urban consumers understand, recognize this with each purchase as this increases the possibility of craftspeople living a decent life thanks to their culture and craftsmanship.
"We hope that every bazaar will set off a craze in the city, and let the city understand the culture of the mountains."
Looking ahead, Xia is confident about the future of Eve and the embroidery workers. And she said that by 2020, about 100,000 embroidery workers will be connected to the company's database, and accept orders through the system. The bazaar will be continued, and more embroidery workers will walk out of the mountains and introduce beautiful Chinese embroidery to the world.
