Yao needlework crafts a revival

Pan Haiyan demonstrates needlework technique to an apprentice, talks with embroiderers and carries a bundle of fabrics (below left) at her embroidery workshop in Tianlin county, Baise city, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The embroidery art of the Yao ethnic group in Tianlin has a long history, with exquisite designs inspired by the lives of the people. In 2018, the Yao embroidery was classified as a Guangxi's regional-level intangible cultural heritage.

Born in 1970 in a village in Badu Yao township, Tianlin county, Pan is a representative inheritor of the Tianlin Yao embroidery art. Pan began learning embroidery at a young age. After years of study and practice, she mastered dozens of needlework techniques and applied her skills to the fashion industry to promote and pass on the art.

She established an embroidery workshop, training many people and boosting their income, as well as bringing new vitality to the craft.