20th CPC National Congress: CPC representative on Qiang ethnic group, embroidery style

These delegates to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China are representatives of the country's 56 ethnic groups. Our reporter Guo Tianqi spoke with Chen Yunjian, a delegate from the Qiang ethnic minority in Beichuan County in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The Qiang are renowned for their craftsmanship in embroidery. Living in the high mountains, members of the Qiang ethnic group are known as the people over the clouds. Their experience of life is also reflected in their unique style of embroidery with azaleas and white goats, a recurring pattern. Qiang embroidery has a history going back thousands of years. There's no fixed color or stitch. We can use our own design to demonstrate our understanding of life. With no written language, embroidery has become a medium for passing on the Qiang culture and tradition. Beichuan, the only Qiang autonomous county in China, was completely buried under the rubble in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and nearly 10% of the Qiang population lost their lives. Saving the Qiang culture became more urgent than ever. After the earthquake, Chen started free embroidery training classes and has so far helped more than 20,000 people to master the skill. I've been a housewife since I got married. Now that my children are back in school, I like to do some embroidery to help my family. Embroidery has also created opportunities for the disabled. In the past 10 years, Chen and her daughters have been providing Ms. Xie with embroidery materials. I met Chen at a training session in the rehabilitation center. I enjoyed every class because I can make lots of new friends. I represent ordinary people and farmers. I feel a great responsibility. Qiang people and CPC members are industrials and hardworking. We must take the lead and help others to pursue a better life through their own skills. Chen knows that traditional handicrafts cannot be preserved without paying attention to modern trends. We work with a famous sports brand to embroider Qiang patterns on their products, and we can guarantee that all our orders are fully handmade. Her two daughters have now returned to help her design new patterns and make Qiang embroidery more attractive to young people. With China's growing international influence, Chen's next goal is to promote Beichuan's Qiang embroidery into a world-class brand. Guo Tianqi, CGTN, Beichuan County, Sichuan Province.