"There are 10 stages of bangdian manufacture, ranging from spinning, dyeing and weaving the yarn," Zhoigar said. Bangdian are in many styles, but those produced by mechanical weaving machines feature seven colors only. Jyaidexiu bangdian are entirely handmade. There are stringent requirements at each stage of their production process, and more than 20 shades of dye are used for dyeing. The raw material is high quality wool. The finished product is the result of carding and twisting yarn (the weft thicker than the warp), working it on the loom (shuttle weaving), pattern weaving, coloring, dyeing, rubbing, and drying. The dyes, made from rocks and plants, are indigenous to Tibet. The woolen threads are in more than 20 vibrant colors, and are fade-resistant. Jyaidexiu Town has a weaving technique all of its own, and every procedure is hand operated. Weaving one bangdian takes a textile worker a whole day to accomplish.

Long Chain of Inheritance

When Dainzin Zhoigar was 13 years old, she dropped out of school and started learning how to weave bangdian from her parents. "At first it seemed to me an arduous process, but I eventually fell under the spell of bangdian. My mother and I wove Tibetan aprons and my father took them to Lhasa to sell. Over time our products won recognition from customers. In 2002, our family set up a cooperative in Simai Village of Jyaixiu Town that we called the Jyaidexiu Gesang Apron Specialty Farmers-Herders Cooperative. We hired as workers villagers adept at weaving aprons. Every year before Tibetan New Year, our supply falls short of demand," Dainzin Zhoigar said.

Gesang, Dainzin Zhoigar’s father, a national inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage, excelled at weaving Tibetan aprons. In his capacity as inheritor, he set up an institute teaching weaving techniques. Gesang also cooperated with Gonggar Vocational Technology School to train Bangdian manufacturers. Each year the institute produces four to five graduates. With its low output and high quality, Dainzin Zhoigar’s products sell well, to the extent of selling out.

In 2011, when her father passed away, Dainzin Zhoigar’s burden grew heavier. "I will hand down the traditional weaving technique from generation to generation, and carry forward the intangible cultural heritage." This, Zhoigar said, was her sole mission. Thereafter, she and her mother took full responsibility for the cooperative. "In the daytime I was busy with the factory matters, and at night I learned to read and write Chinese characters from the Xinhua Dictionary. I took it with me everywhere, whether to Beijing to attend sales exhibitions, or to Shanghai for the World Expo." Dainzin Zhoigar knew that her Chinese proficiency needed work, and so imposed on herself a strict study regimen.

The products of the cooperative, such as colorful bangdian, woolen scarves, shawls, and small travel back packs, were well received at the 2014 First China Tibet Tourism and Culture Expo. "On the first day of the expo, all bangdian sold out. When the expo ended, only a few back packs were left. The total sales volume reached RMB 40,000. Besides local residents, tourists also bought our products, and many asked for my contact information with the intent of ordering custom made products. At present, our products are wholesaled to Lhasa, Xigaze and Nagqu, and exported to Japan. In 2004 a Japanese woman came to my home to order bangdian, wallets, and scarves. Our cooperation continues to this day. We make products according to designs and patterns she provides."