The Li ethnic group's traditional spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidery craftsmanship is a traditional handicraft used by Li women in Hainan to make clothing and other daily necessities using natural fibers such as cotton and hemp. It has a long history, and its representative product is called "Li Brocade". The Li people do not have a written language, so Li Brocade carries the history and culture of the Li people in Hainan, condensing and conveying the wisdom, memory, and emotions of the ethnic group. In 2006, the traditional spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidery craftsmanship of the Li ethnic group was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative project lists. In 2009, the project was included in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. 

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, with the continuous improvement of the protection and inheritance system, the survival status of the Li ethnic group's traditional spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidery craftsmanship has been continuously improving. The number and practical ability of inheritors have been continuously enhanced, playing an important role in strengthening the sense of community of the Chinese nation and helping poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. In December 2024, the traditional spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidery craftsmanship of the Li ethnic group was successfully transferred to the UNESCO "Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity". This fully reflects the unremitting efforts made by China as a contracting party over the past 15 years to promote the protection and inheritance of the project through multiple measures and concerted efforts. It vividly demonstrates the practical results of connecting intangible cultural heritage with modern life and integrating it into sustainable economic and social development. This exhibition is divided into four units: "Hundreds of Flowers and Thousands of Splendors", "Warp and Weft Memories", "Concerted Efforts", and "Tides Rising in the South of the Sea". They respectively showcase the historical context, technical characteristics, protection practices, and innovative development of the Li ethnic group's traditional spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidery craftsmanship, presenting the beauty of Li Brocade, demonstrating the achievements of intangible cultural heritage protection in Hainan Province, and promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of intangible cultural heritage in the new era, constantly radiating new vitality and shining with new splendor.

Date: from 6 December 2024 to 5 January

Venue: 6/F, Chinese Traditional Culture Museum

Photo by: CTCM