Liu said the weaving process requires rigorous workmanship.

"Everything has to be restarted from the very beginning when a tiny mistake is made on the pattern," she said.

Most traditional weaving patterns are taken from the natural world, such as tiger stripes, colorful pheasant feathers, clouds and waves.

"I'm able to weave everything in my mind, like a beautiful valley, an old city and a little creek," Liu said confidently.

A docile and even-tempered woman, Liu becomes quite eloquent when she explains the old art.

"I just enjoy sharing my appreciation of natural beauty with others through my hand-woven works. Only when you can reconstruct it in your mind and offer it with your hands, can you really get into it."

Liu organizes some housewives in her community to learn how to brocade.

"They just need to bring raw materials from home. I will pay for it if their products are good enough, so they can learn skills and earn some money to pay for living expenses," Liu said.

The works done by Liu and her students are very popular among local people and visitors.

"My visiting friends always buy Liu's products. After getting back home, they even call me to mail more for other friends who see her work," said Tan Mingliang, a regular customer of Liu.

In 2010, Liu won a gold medal for her creative work at the First China Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo, held in Jinan, Shandong province.

"Liu is respected as a master craftsman in Hubei province for her excellent weaving skills and constant innovation," said Zhou Engao, chairman of the Enshi City Artists Association.

"Being a real master of this traditional old art, Liu has been doing her best to pass down the technique to the younger generation."

Liu takes the honor coolly. She plans to open a training school next year, teaching people to weave for free. And she hopes to include visually- and hearing-impaired people in the school.

"Smart and innovative, they harbor strong wills to communicate with the world. More importantly, they have patience, the key quality for weaving fine works," said Liu.

"I hope the tradition can benefit more people. Only the arts living in people's lives can be enriched and developed further," she said.