A fresh stitch on tradition

After graduating from middle school, she enrolled in Xiangxi Vocational and Technical College for Nationalities, where she majored in arts and crafts. There she studied Miao embroidery and other intangible cultural heritage crafts, including batik, Tujia brocade and wood carving.

Under the guidance of local inheritors, she learned not only traditional techniques but also how to reinterpret historical patterns for contemporary audiences.

"Some of my college designs eventually reached factory-production standards," she says proudly.

After graduating in 2024, Li joined the design team of a Miao embroidery company in Shibadong village. There, her designs and those of her colleagues are transformed into finished products by local embroiderers, most of them women from Shibadong and neighboring communities.

Design work, she notes, extends well beyond sketches and computer screens. From creating the first sample to refining every detail, she regularly works alongside embroiderers on the production line.

"You have to understand the process," she says. "Something that looks simple on paper can be very difficult to make."

To inspire new creations, Li has developed a habit of collecting antique embroidered pieces, searching for them online and at local fairs. Some date back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), offering a rich source of traditional motifs and techniques.

One of the qualities Li values most about Miao embroidery is its sense of "freedom", reflected in its spontaneous, nature-driven patterns.

"Our Miao ancestors migrated over long distances," she explains.

"Legends say that they used embroidery to mark their route, stitching what they saw along the way. Flowers, birds, insects, and rivers, whatever caught their attention, became part of the patterns on their clothing."

That sense of openness still defines the craft today, she adds. "There's no rule that says you must stitch this to the left or that to the right. It's natural, free and fluid."

In 2021, Miao embroidery in Xiangxi was added to China's national intangible cultural heritage list. For the women of Shibadong, however, the craft represents more than cultural preservation.

Since a national poverty alleviation campaign was launched in the village in 2013, embroidery has become an important source of income.

According to local authorities, embroiderers in the village and surrounding areas earn an additional 2,000 to 3,000 yuan ($295 to $443) per month through embroidery work. Last year, Miao embroidery generated more than 5 million yuan for the local economy.

For Li, new ideas continue to take shape through fabric, thread and color. Her upcoming projects will focus on other creatures, including fish and shrimp, she says.

"I want to make them come alive. I want every creature in my work to have its own spirit."