This training set Liu Dai’e in good stead when she graduated from high school. That year was a time of new opportunities for the young woman, as the household responsibility system, which linked the income of rural households more closely to output of their lands, was implemented. After finishing her farm duties, Liu would spend all her free time weaving. Eventually, she stopped farm work altogether and weaving became her career. She instructed her younger sister Liu Daiying in the craft and the three sisters set up a workshop dedicated to developing Tujia brocade. They have become well known for brocade weaving in their region, their fame spilling over into neighboring provinces.

Tujia brocade has a long history and can be traced back to the second century B.C. According to historical records, it once boasted over 400 traditional patterns, of which more than half can be seen today. Some depict the natural world, while others show astronomical phenomena, geography or local customs and legends. Around 160 of these are preserved in or close to Laochehe Village, knowledge of which is passed down from person to person and held in their memories. There is no book or written record of those complicated patterns or how to make them.

Collecting patterns has not been an easy job, and Liu has been fastidious in her research since taking it up at the age of 20. In 1978, three years into her quest, she was learning how to weave a specific design called a “chair pattern.” Hearing that a farmer in Pojiao Township had preserved a piece of brocade in this pattern, she resolved to see what it really looked like. Because rural transport was very poor at the time, she set off, alone and on foot, at 5 o’clock in the morning. Exhausted after traveling the whole day, over mountains and through forests, she finally found the farmer and saw the brocade. That night she had to stay in the same farmer’s home to regain her strength for the journey home.

More recently, in 2007, Liu collected a piece of old, worn brocade that was made more than two centuries ago. Its color had faded and it was difficult to make out the pattern on it. “It had more than 60 holes, the biggest as large as the palm of your hand,” says Liu. After carefully examining the layout of the remaining threads, Liu realized it must be the Rare Animals Pattern that she’d heard her elders speaking about as a real treasure. Liu deeply appreciates the craftsmanship of the older generation. “Whoever made it was a genius. It has 11 types of animals, including swan, unicorn and sika deer. It took me over 20 days to figure out how to weave it,” says Liu. In order to reproduce the pattern, Liu strictly followed traditional Tujia weaving methods. After a total of over 50 days of hard work, she successfully deciphered and reproduced the pattern.