The dying art of Dong

Updated: 2013-10-06 07:06

(China Daily)

  Print Mail Large Medium  Small 分享按钮 0

The Dong ethnic group lives in Guizhou province and is known for its traditional culture dating back to thousands of years, with the handmade Dong blouse believed to be the epitome of traditional art.

At the beginning of autumn, Dong women start making the special cloth needed to make Dong blouses. Starting by picking cotton, spinning it into yarn, weaving, dyeing and hammering the cloth, they take about 11 months to complete the process, including sewing and embroidery, all of which is done by hand. But since the complicated process scares away young girls, only a few can carry on the tradition, making it an almost lost art.

The dying art of Dong

Ethnic Dong women sew blouses at Xiaohuang village in Guizhou province. Some Dong women use sewing machines for the purpose.

The dying art of Dong

Sewing a Dong blouse, the traditional way.

The dying art of Dong

A Dong woman uses scissors to cut handmade cloth to make blouses at Xiaohuang village, Guizhou province.

Previous Page 1 2 3 Next Page

8.03K