Ancient handicraft bucks gender norms

For over 3,000 years, the intricate art of Li brocade — spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidering — has been a hallmark of family tradition in Hainan province, passed down primarily from mothers to daughters.

This unique craft has served as a living testament to the deep familial bonds that have kept it alive through the generations.

Yet, the legacy of Li brocade is now being upheld by an increasing number of young practitioners, including male descendants of renowned artisan families.

They have breathed new vitality into the art that used to be dominated by women and are playing an active role in preserving and advancing the craft through establishing their own businesses and engaging in cultural exchanges.

Each time Wang Zhongwen settles before a waist-strapped loom and buries his head in the Li brocade weaving, he sets himself apart from the female practitioners.

The man in his 20s recently returned home to central Hainan's Qiongzhong Li and Miao autonomous county from a brocade exhibition in Beijing in mid-February.