Embroidering of Qiang ethnic group in NW China

A woman of Qiang ethnic group makes embroidery in Yang Huazhen's museum. [Photo/China.org.cn]

The Qiang ethnic minority, with a history of more than 3,000 years, is one of the original ethnic groups in China. The traditional Qiang embroidery has been listed as one of the national intangible cultural heritages. However, the Qiang culture suffered from severe destruction after the devastating earthquake in 2008, which left a total of 87,000 people dead or missing and millions homeless.

As an intangible cultural heritage inheritors, Yang Huazhen, a woman of Qiang ethnic group, set up a training school to teach local women the Qiang embroidery skills for free with support of a women's organiazation in Aba since August, 2008. In 2012, she set up an embroidery museum in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan province, and trained more Qiang women to get effective salvation and protection of the traditional technique.