South China's Hainan Province is actively advancing the preservation of Li brocade, a traditional textile of the Li ethnic group, and enhancing its appeal on the global stage. Li brocade is known as a "living fossil" of China's textile industry.
On May 23, during the Hainan Week for the China Pavilion at the Osaka Expo 2025, Ren Jiaming and his fellow students from Hainan University, dressed in stylish attire featuring Li brocade patterns, paraded outside the pavilion, drawing crowds of spectators eager to take photos with them.
Shortly before this event, Li brocade weaver Tan Chaoyan traveled to Paris with her traditional loom, invited to demonstrate Li brocade techniques at Paris Fashion Week.
Tan Chaoyan (R) showcases Li brocade techniques at Paris Fashion Week. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)
"This marked the second time Hainan Li brocade graced Paris Fashion Week," said Tan Chaoyan, an inheritor of the traditional Li textile techniques of spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidering from Wuzhishan city, Hainan.
"I felt immense pride in showcasing the beauty of Li brocade to the international fashion world," she said.
Models showcased clothing featuring Li brocade patterns at the Li brocade master collaboration collection show during Paris Fashion Week.
"I'm fascinated by Li brocade patterns—their elements are very modern and graphic, integrating beautifully into my works," said designer Véronique Leroy, who incorporated Li brocade patterns including Dalishen (God of Strength) and the Gangong bird into her creations.
To make Li brocade trendy and international, Wuzhishan city collaborated with Italy's top art school Istituto Marangoni to launch a talent training program in August 2023, and selected 30 Li brocade artisans for the program.
Photo shows Li brocade-inspired handicrafts. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)
By the end of 2024, nine cities and counties in Hainan had over 470 representative inheritors of the traditional Li textile techniques of spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidering.
Zhang Xintong, who helped bring Li brocade back to Paris Fashion Week, attended the Fifth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) held in Hainan, which offered opportunities to bring Li brocade closer to consumers.
Drawn by the Free Trade Port policies, Zhang started her business in Hainan. As head of Li Brocade Elements (Hainan) Technology Co., Ltd., she is exploring ways to make Li brocade both trendy and industrialized.
At the CICPE's main venue, the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center, Zhang and her team showcased a shawl inspired by an ancient bed sheet on display at the Hainan Provincial Museum of Ethnology. The shawl won praise from merchants attending the expo.
At the Haikou International Duty-Free City Shopping Complex, a CICPE sub-venue, 35 Li brocade-creations by Véronique Leroy and Istituto Marangoni student Tan Yanyu were featured on the runway.
For the finale, Zhang took the stage wearing a white T-shirt printed with Li brocade patterns, expressing her hope that more young people will wear Li brocade clothing in daily life.
In March this year, Hainan issued a five-year plan for the protection and development of the traditional Li textile techniques of spinning, dyeing, weaving, and embroidering. The plan calls for greater international promotion of Li brocade culture, encourages representative inheritors of the intangible cultural heritage item to participate in major fashion shows worldwide, and supports companies in expanding exports of Li brocade products.
Photo shows Nicki Johnson, an American designer, in her store in Baishamen Park, Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)
Nicki Johnson, an American designer, runs a store called Island Delights in Baishamen Park, Haikou, the provincial capital.
The shop sells Li brocade-inspired products designed by herself, including fridge magnets, necklaces and hair clips, as well as Li brocade works created by Hainan villagers.
"Many foreign customers come to buy these works. I want to do my best to promote Li brocade culture and support local art," Johnson said.
Last December, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added the traditional Li textile techniques to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
As Li brocade gains international recognition, Johnson's store is also taking on a more global vibe, selling more Li brocade-themed products created by artists from different countries. The store regularly hosts international art exhibitions featuring Li brocade-themed works by creators from diverse cultural backgrounds.
"Her handicrafts are beautiful. It's heartening to see foreigners appreciate and learn about our culture," said Tan Chaoyan, expressing her hope that Li brocade will continue to win international fans.
"What's unique for a nation is also precious for the world. We will continue promoting the innovative development of crafts of various ethnic groups, including Li brocade, Li pottery and Miao embroidery," said Fu Xiurong, Party chief and director of the Ethnic Affairs Commission of Hainan Province.
"We'll bring intangible cultural heritages into daily life and help more ethnic treasures reach the global stage," Fu added.
