Culturally symbolic ethnic blanket debuts at London Craft Week

LONDON — A traditional Dulong blanket from one of China's smallest ethnic groups debuted on May 12 at the opening of the China National Pavilion during the 2025 London Craft Week, where 120 handcrafted works were displayed.

The Dulong ethnic group primarily resides in the Nujiang Lisu autonomous prefecture of Southwest China's Yunnan province. The Dulong blanket, woven by the women, is a community cultural symbol.

The exhibition in London is supported by the initiative "Mothers' Needlework", launched by China Ping An Group in partnership with the Art and Design Press. The program aims to promote women's employment and further alleviate poverty.

In his opening remarks, Minister Zhao Fei of the Chinese embassy in the United Kingdom highlighted the shared heritage of craftsmanship from China and Britain.

He noted that both countries have splendid traditional artistry, and expressed hope that this year's London Craft Week would deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries.

Qian Zhu, president and editor-in-chief of Art and Design magazine, says that Dulong blankets and their related textiles generate annual sales of approximately 500,000 yuan ($70,000) in the UK. For an ethnic group with a population of just 7,000, the growing domestic and international recognition of Dulong ethnic textiles is a significant achievement.

David Francis, a lecturer of Curating Asian Art at SOAS at the University of London, whose research includes ethnic communities in China's Yunnan and Sichuan provinces, says he was excited to see the textiles he encountered in China being exhibited in London.

Francis emphasizes the importance of integrating traditional crafts with contemporary design to resonate more with contemporary audiences.

The China Pavilion, themed "Tian Gong Kai Wu", is named for the renowned 17th-century Chinese encyclopedia of craftsmanship and technology, widely regarded as the world's first systematic record of China's agricultural and arts history.

Hosted at the historic Royal Mint in London, the exhibition was held on Sunday and included themed events such as "Mothers' Needlework" and "A Magical Leaf from the East", with 80 percent of the showcased works created by emerging artists.