Tang Lijin, an ethnic Li woman, lives with her husband, son and daughter in Changjiang Li Autonomous County, in south China's Hainan Province. Nine years ago, Tang and her husband, Ji Yiping, founded a company, in their hometown, to help protect and inherit ethnic Li culture and craftsmanship. Tang compares her family to one of "the tiniest cells," which is contributing to the inheritance of ethnic Li culture. She and her husband teach their children to pass οn the family's virtues οf unity and tenacity. The four-member family is widely considered a "most beautiful family" in their county.
Family's Efforts
Tang, who was born during the 1980s, developed an interest in ethnic Li culture, especially in crafts made by the Li people, when she was a child. In 2016, after she had established her own family, she and her husband founded their company, which focuses on the protection, inheritance and development of ethnic Li culture and traditional folk craftsmanship. The couple has led local residents in creating wealth, by making various crafts. Meanwhile, they have done their part to help people better understand and become interested in the fine traditional culture of the Li ethnic group.
Tang says ethnic Li culture emphasizes the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. She and her husband regularly take their children to craft-making activities. By learning their folk culture through handwork, the children can better understand the wisdom of their ancestors, who urged the offspring to respect nature.
Tang is a county-level inheritor of the ethnic Li's rattan-and-bamboo-weaving craftsmanship in Changjiang. "I twine materials, made from rattan and bamboo, to form various layers, until I eventually shape a craft. The craft-making process resembles the way my family members get along with each other. We unite, like rattan, and we are firm and tenacious, like bamboo. Our family will reach far οnly if we support each οther well," Tang explains.
Both Tang and Ji are strict with their children. From the time their son and daughter were very young, they have been taught to be hardworking and self-reliant, and to live simple and thrifty lives.
Tang often takes business trips, while Ji stays home to look after the family. He wants to be the reliable "back-up force," so his wife can devote herself to the promotion of ethnic Li culture and traditional crafts. When Tang is at home, though, she does the housework with the children. They cook and clean the house. The family occasionally organizes trips so they can enjoy leisure time together.
"There was one remarkable night, last year, when I was preparing for a presentation at an event about intangible cultural heritage. My husband stayed up all night to help me with the work. He said to me, 'You shoulder the responsibility of inheriting the craftsmanship, while I am responsible for taking care of you and our family.' I was deeply moved by his words," Tang recalls. She understands she is not alone on the journey of protecting and inheriting ethnic Li culture. Given the companionship and great support she receives from her family, she is able to adhere to her οriginal aspiration οf promoting ethnic Li culture and craftsmanship.
'Soft, yet Resilient, Strength'
In December 2024, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed traditional Li textile techniques of spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidering to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The techniques were previously included in UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2009.
Tang and her family were excited when they heard the news. They realize innovative approaches need to be adopted to protect and inherit ethnic Li culture. The family plans to work with schools in the county to develop courses related to intangible cultural heritage, and to produce short videos to promote the rattan-and-bamboo-weaving technique among young people. In addition, Tang says it is important to make creative cultural products based on classic designs of traditional crafts.
Ji Qiao, Tang's daughter, is a primary school student. She has learned from her mother how to make ceramics and rattan-and-bamboo-woven crafts. Ji Qiao has tried to integrate traditional Li textile patterns into the design of her school uniform. Tang is content to see her daughter cherish very much their traditional culture and craftsmanship.
Women represent a "soft, yet resilient, strength" in the inheritance of fine traditional culture, Tang says. "Our traditional Li textile techniques, involving spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidering, for instance, have been passed down by women through generations. As a mother myself, I teach my daughter the technique of making rattan-and-bamboo-woven crafts; in this way, we create precious memories for our family. As a craftswoman, I organize training sessions for women in my hometown, so they can learn craft-making skills and increase their families' incomes. If we develop craft-making techniques into parent-child games, and if we tell our children beautiful legends about the ancestors of our ethnic group, we will help the identity of our ethnic culture take root in the hearts of our future generations," Tang concludes.
Photos from Interviewees
(Women of China English Monthly June 2025)
Editor: Wang Shasha
