Through Factories, Tujia Ethnic Minority Share Culture with the Rest of the World

Numerous factories in Hubei Province have sprung up to produce the one-of-a-kind art form kKnown locally as Xilankapu. Also known as Tujian brocade, the intangible cultural heritage item is one of the primary products produced in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture.

The new factories in Hubei Province are seen as an instrument for the Tujian people to help pass down their unique craft and to help augment the local people's income. These factories usually come with modern sales channels, systematic training, mass production and professional designers.

Handwoven and intricate, Tujian brocade symbolizes the skill and wisdom of the Tujia ethnic minority.

Xilankapu, which literally means "flower-brocaded bedspread," is woven through a narrow lathe loom using multi-colored silk, cotton, or wool weft. A warp with yellow, blue, red, black, and white threads add splashes of color to the fabric, which can then be used as cushion covers and pillow cases.

Through the narrow lathe loom, weavers provide a glimpse of Tujia daily life through images of nature, geometric patterns, and other designs.

Weaving this symbolic cultural heritage is considered an essential skill that is passed from mothers to daughters. Tujia mothers take time to teach their daughters the art of weaving Xilankapu, and if a mother is unavailable, an older sister teaches in her stead. A weaver's character and skill is measured by the techniques she incorporates and the number of fabrics she can produce.

As a Tujian daughter reaches the appropriate age to marry, Xilankapu becomes a main feature of her dowry. The bride-to-be herself must finish a Xilankapu wedding dress the night before she marries.

Thanks to the new factories, the Tujia people can now share their culture with the rest of the world, as Tujian brocade is shipped to markets across the globe every year.