Racing against time for heritage

Zhang Juyue, a 34-year-old from the Qiang ethnic group who has dedicated her life to preserving and reviving Qiang embroidery, feels she is racing against time.

"In another 10 years, it might be difficult to find enough embroiderers to carry on this work," she says.

The Qiang group, with a population of about 310,000, is one of China's oldest, and is called "the ethnic group on clouds" as they usually live in high altitudes shrouded in mist and clouds.

Qiang embroidery, a national intangible cultural heritage passed down through generations of Qiang women, is essential for making clothing and an important carrier of the Qiang people's history, culture and customs, as they do not have a written language.

"The patterns in Qiang embroidery hold many hidden stories. For instance, the 'square flower' mentioned by local women is derived from the bricks of ancient city walls, symbolizing their memories of wars," Zhang says.

"These outward-pointing arrows represent the women's desire to protect their husbands," she says, pointing to the design on a shoe.