Embroidering a future for tradition

"When I was a teenager, one of the items of clothing that my mother made for me was bought by a foreign visitor for more than 300 yuan, which was a huge amount of money at the time, and it made me realize the value of our batik and embroidery work," Cai recalls.

Cai took her embroidery products to a nearby scenic spot to sell, and tourists were impressed. As her business slowly grew, the local government offered her a loan to help her build a three-floor factory.

More of her fellow villagers, who had worked as migrant workers in other cities, moved back to the village to join Cai's company with their batik skills. This dovetailed with Cai's intention of expanding the business. She says that she hopes that "the sisters in the village will come back and return to their children".

"A life spending time at home with children is really good," she says.

Yang Zhongmei from Cai's village left to find work elsewhere. She could only return once every two years. She admits that her children barely knew her. She moved back to the village and was invited by Cai to learn batik skills.

"Now my family's situation has improved a lot. I make batik and my husband opened a restaurant at a nearby scenic spot. With Cai's help, we no longer have to go away to find work," she says.

The year 2013 was a special one for Cai, as she was elected as a deputy to the 12th National People's Congress. Besides being an entrepreneur, Cai also pays attention to the inheritance of batik embroidery.