Keeping old style alive

Technique blends traditional aesthetics and contemporary craftsmanship. Yang Jun reports in Guiyang.

Editor's Note: Using a blend of words and visuals, this series explores unique communities and reveals the heart of China through food, architecture, craftsmanship, landscapes and traditions.

The exquisite craftsmanship of leaf-vein embroidery in Tongren city, Guizhou province, has made Guizhou embroidery one of the major styles of embroidery in China.

Leaf-vein embroidery first appeared in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and has been used to transmit information by several ethnic groups in the southwestern region.

Yang Li, an inheritor of this technique, has incorporated the traditional embroidery of the Miao, Tujia and Dong ethnic groups into the leaves, showcasing the blending of traditional aesthetics and contemporary craftsmanship.

Leaf-vein embroidery artwork boasts a highly collectible and artistic value due to its complex production process. The key steps include selecting and drying the leaves, then designing and embroidering the pattern. Sourced from rare plants in the primitive forests of the Fanjing Mountain scenic area in Tongren, the leaves with harder veins that are about to fall in autumn serve as the best raw material.

After the leaves naturally soften over the next 20 days, they are warmed and fumigated to preserve them. When soft, the leaves are also extremely fragile. Patterns inspired by ancient stories and nature are drawn on the processed veins.

Yang says that in the last decade there have been barely 20 people in Tongren who can independently complete the whole leaf-embroidery process.

In 2011, Yang's leaf-vein embroidery work won the special "Guizhou artisan" award, and in 2012 she won several further awards including the gold prize at the First China Silver Embroidery Exhibition. Her works have won her fame and overseas orders, with the most precious pieces reaching as much as 7,000 yuan ($990).

Due to the laborious process and low yield of high-quality products, passing down the traditional skill faces challenges. "I have introduced this technique to universities, communities, villages and even selected skilled embroiderers to learn leaf-vein embroidery skills, but very few have been able to persevere," Yang said.

In 2011, she opened a processing factory and offered jobs to more than 500 female workers, rural women and people with disabilities. As a result, almost every embroiderer has a collection of handicrafts in their home that could fill a museum.

"I have a sense of mission and urgency. In my generation, I must do it better and pass on this craft," she said.

In 2022, Yang established the Guizhou embroidery intangible cultural heritage industry base, and has since utilized social media to showcase the traditional techniques of leaf-vein embroidery through short videos with her apprentice Yang Xinyu.

"Leaf-vein embroidery is a treasure. As a young person influenced by Teacher Yang Li, I am determined to inherit this craft and hope that more young people will return to their hometowns to inherit it." Yang Xinyu said.

贵州省铜仁市的叶纹刺绣工艺精湛，使贵州刺绣成为中国刺绣的主要风格之一。

叶纹绣最早出现在宋代（960-1279），西南地区的几个民族一直用它来传递信息。

杨丽是这项技术的继承者，她将苗族、土家族和侗族的传统刺绣融入叶子中，展示了传统美学和当代工艺的融合。

叶纹刺绣艺术品因其复杂的制作工艺而具有很高的收藏和艺术价值。关键步骤包括选择和干燥叶子，然后设计和刺绣图案。来自铜仁梵净山风景区原始森林中的珍稀植物，秋天即将落下的叶脉较硬的叶子是最好的原料。

在接下来的20天里，叶子自然变软后，会被加热和熏蒸以保存它们。柔软的时候，叶子也非常脆弱。受古代故事和自然启发的图案绘制在加工过的纹理上。

杨说，在过去的十年里，铜仁只有20个人能够独立完成整个叶绣过程。

2011年，杨的叶纹刺绣作品获得了“贵州工匠”特别奖，2012年，她又获得了包括首届中国银绣展金奖在内的多个奖项。她的作品赢得了声誉和海外订单，最珍贵的作品高达7000元人民币（990美元）。

由于工艺繁琐，优质产品产量低，传承传统技艺面临挑战。杨说：“我已经把这项技术介绍给大学、社区、村庄，甚至挑选出熟练的刺绣师来学习叶纹刺绣技巧，但很少有人能够坚持下去。”。

2011年，她开设了一家加工厂，为500多名女工、农村妇女和残疾人提供了工作。因此，几乎每个刺绣者家里都有一系列手工艺品，可以填满一个博物馆。

她说：“我有使命感和紧迫感。在我这一代人中，我必须做得更好，把这艘飞船传下去。”。

2022年，杨建立了贵州刺绣非物质文化遗产产业基地，并利用社交媒体与学徒杨新宇通过短视频展示了叶脉刺绣的传统技艺。

杨新宇说：“叶纹绣是一种珍宝。作为一个受杨丽老师影响的年轻人，我决心继承这门手艺，并希望更多的年轻人回到家乡继承它。”。

【语法填空改编】

The exquisite craftsmanship of leaf-vein embroidery in Tongren city, Guizhou province, has made Guizhou embroidery one of the major styles of embroidery in China.Leaf-vein embroidery first 1.________(appear) in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and has been used to transmit information by several ethnic groups in the southwestern region.Leaf-vein embroidery artwork 2.________(boast) a highly collectible and artistic value due to its complex production process. The key steps include selecting and drying the leaves, then designing and embroidering the pattern. 3.________(source) from rare plants in the primitive forests of the Fanjing Mountain scenic area in Tongren, the leaves with harder veins 4.______are about to fall in autumn serve as the best raw material.5.________ the leaves naturally soften over the next 20 days, they are warmed and fumigated to preserve them. When soft, the leaves are also 6._______(extreme) fragile. Patterns inspired by ancient 7.__________(story) and nature are drawn on the processed veins.

Yang Li, an inheritor of this technique, has incorporated the traditional embroidery of the Miao, Tujia and Dong ethnic groups 8._______ the leaves, showcasing the blending of traditional aesthetics and contemporary craftsmanship.Yang says that in the last decade there have been barely 20 people in Tongren who can independently complete 9.________ whole leaf-embroidery process.In 2022, Yang established the Guizhou embroidery intangible cultural heritage industry base, and has since utilized social media to showcase the traditional techniques of leaf-vein embroidery through short videos with 10._______(she) apprentice Yang Xinyu.

【参考答案】

1.appeared 2.boasts 3.Sourced 4.that 5.After 6.extremely 7.stories 8.into 9.the 10.her

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