Artisan passes on time-honored craft of tie-dye in SW China's Yunnan

Photo shows tie-dye products by Huang Lin. (Photo/Liao Qin)

Nestled in the mountains of southwest China's Yunnan Province lies Nakeli, a small, hidden village and a shining gem along the ancient Tea Horse Road. Surrounded by lush greenery, the village has provided endless creative inspiration for Huang Lin, a tie-dye artisan from southwest China's Sichuan Province.

In 2013, Huang, driven by her lifelong passion for tie-dye, a traditional Chinese folk dyeing craft with a history of over 1,000 years and rich cultural significance, settled in Nakeli village located in Hani and Yi Autonomous County, Pu'er city and opened a tie-dye workshop, breathing new life into the craft.

Huang uses local plants including the isatis root, a plant known for its deep blue pigment, to create natural dyes and apply them to linen, silk, cotton, and other fabrics through various techniques.

Photo shows tie-dye products by Huang Lin. (Photo/Liao Qin)

"This scarf is our most popular product, dyed with dyestuff extracted from the isatis root. It's soft, can be used year-round, and also serves as a door curtain or tea room divider," Huang said.

Stepping into Huang's tie-dye shop, tourists are greeted by various tie-dye creations like colorful scarves, cloth bags with beautiful patterns, and small decorative items. The shop's warm and elegant environment creates a rich artistic atmosphere, allowing visitors to appreciate the works while immersing themselves in traditional culture.

Out of passion, Huang devotes most of her time to tie-dye creation. As she continues to hone her skills, her works have not only gained popularity in domestic markets but have also been exported to overseas markets such as Singapore and Malaysia.

"Thanks to the thriving tourism industry in Nakeli, our business is getting better, with annual revenue reaching about 200,000 yuan ($27,466.68)," Huang said.

Besides directly selling tie-dye products, Huang's shop also offers hands-on tie-dye experiences, from material selection to dyeing and drying, attracting numerous tourists and educational tour groups. This has enriched rural tourism experiences while promoting the inheritance of tie-dye techniques.

Photo shows tie-dye products by Huang Lin. (Photo/Liao Qin)

Additionally, Huang passes on tie-dye skills to villagers in Ning'er through on-site training, allowing more people to learn the craft and boost their incomes. So far, she has trained over 100 villagers.

Huang also outsources some products to trained embroiderers, paying them per piece to help increase their incomes during agricultural off-seasons.

Huang has also embraced other cultural pillars of Pu'er in her tie-dye creations, like tea and coffee.

"Pu'er has a strong tea and coffee culture. I've tried using tea leaves and coffee for dyeing, then designing cultural products like tea mats, tea set bags, and coffee bags with these fabrics to attract more young people to understand tie-dye craft," Huang said, hoping to incorporate more Pu'er elements into her creations.

Photo shows tie-dye products by Huang Lin. (Photo/Liao Qin)