Bounce back of embroidered ball is more than just a romantic dream

In picturesque Jingxi, a city in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, an ancient craft is experiencing a resurgence. The creation of the embroidered balls is complex and colorful, and deeply rooted in the region's historical picture.

Wang Xiufen, a 36-year-old woman from Liaocheng city, Shandong province, stands at the center of this revival. Her story is not just about craftsmanship; it's about cultural continuity, innovation and community transformation.

"The craft of embroidered balls needs to be preserved and promoted; it requires the involvement of more educated, knowledgeable young people. The intrinsic charm of the embroidered balls themselves influences this development, and I am merely a ferryman in the history of their evolution," Wang says.

In 2009, Wang traveled to a village in Guangxi, where she found many women making embroidered balls. Little did she know that her simple curiosity about the craft would set her on a new career path.