Wang Xiuqin, the first female collector of the customs and folk art of the Li ethnic group and the leading person at the frontline of Li cultural preservation, spins yarn in the traditional Li style. [Zeng Yuqing/China Daily]
Left: Li women make delicate embroidery. Right: A masterpiece of Li textile work. [Photos by Huagn Yiming/China Daily]
While many that cheer for the modernization comes with rapid economic growth, the monolithic apartment blocks, the Western chain stores spreading across the country like wild fire, and the fashion labels that dominate our contemporary dress, one woman is concerned by the loss of China's cultural heritage.
Wang Xiuqin is the first female collector of the customs of the Li ethnic group and the leading woman at the frontline of Li ethnic cultural preservation.
Wang, who was born and grew up a proud member of the Li ethnic group in the mountains of Ledong county, Hainan province, started her collection in 1986.
Her collection has expanded from customs in farming and religious activities to marriage and day-to day living - almost every aspect of Li ethnic customs.
Bows and arrows, fishing nets, traditional fabrics and many other items mean that her collection occupies almost all of the space in her small house.
Two years ago, when members of Hainan's ethnograpic research team visited her place, they were shocked and recognized her as the first person to have started such a large collection of Li culture in Hainan.
"When I returned to my village after high school, I found things had changed," Wang recalled. "All of a sudden, T-shirts and jeans had become the fashion among the teenagers. They had also started speaking Mandarin instead of our dialect."
The lifestyle passed down from centuries ago had changed, the boat-shaped houses were replaced by modern blocks, and the image of the traditional Li habitat has slowly faded from people's memories.
"The hills and fields here, I love them so much," said Wang. "I want to preserve every single piece of those abandoned items and show them to our descendants. The traces of our ancestors and our history should not be forgotten."
One man's trash is another man's treasure.
From 1986, Wang started to collect the bits and pieces that people threw in the street. But it was to be a long, hard journey. During all these years, she has faced countless doubts and mockery from her own people who thought she had lost her mind.
She has spent all her wages, even put herself in deep debt, fulfilling her dream. Apart from people's misunderstanding and the lack of funds, how to preserve her priceless collectibles in the humid weather and control the rat problem were what worried her the most.
However, as an old Li saying goes, even the hardest stone will crack if you put your heart into it. After 30 years of hard work, Wang has managed to build her own fine collection.
But she is not satisfied by just preserving the physical items but wants to pass them down to following generations. For example, Li's textile production is one of the traditional crafts that are declining.
The unique Li textiles require a very complicated process from collection of the raw materials to delicate hand weaving and dyeing. It usually takes up to several months, even a year, to make a garment.
Facing challenges from modern machine-run textile factories, the time-consuming Li handmade textile process has slowly been pushed out of the market. Now, only a few women know how to make their own traditional clothes.
"Li textiles are a living fossil of our culture," Wang said. "It represents our ancient wisdom and we cannot let it die out in our generation."
In 2012, Wang started a workshop to teach girls how to make Li fabrics in Baoping village, and in 2014 it expanded to Xili village.
Thanks to Wang's determination, more girls and women have adopted this ancient craft. Last year alone she took in 30 students, the youngest of whom was only six years old.
As the first local ethnographic collector, Wang has faced many challenges, but she has never given up. "The splendid culture of the Li ethnic group must not be lost. It used to be our life, and it is part of our unique memory," Wang said.
Ren Xiaojin contributed to the story.
Contact the writers at huangyiming@chinadaily.com.cn
