Nenkasman poses for a photo with her husband in front of their home in Qiaoqi Tibetan Township of Baoxing County, Ya'an City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Oct. 8, 2025. Nenkasman, 40, hailing from Qiaoqi Tibetan Township in Baoxing County, Ya'an City, has been leading a diverse life. In 2007, Nenkasman and her husband started a family-run guesthouse and engaged in nature education. They led children participating in study tours onto pastures for hiking and bird-watching, collecting plants along the way to make specimens. Around a decade ago, Nenkasman began recording daily life and culture in her hometown with videos. During this process, she noticed that traditional skills once essential to local women — yak wool spinning and Qiaoqi floral sash weaving — were gradually fading as fewer people were willing to carry them on. Determined to protect and pass on these techniques, she established a textile handmade studio in 2016, combining traditional craftsmanship with innovative design to produce backpacks, scarves, belts, and other handicrafts. She marketed these products through fairs and online sales. As orders increased, Nenkasman shared them with village women, enabling them to earn extra income during the off-season of farming. More than 50 women have since engaged in the part-time job under her guidance. Today, Nenkasman's studio is attracting growing numbers of schools and craft enthusiasts for visits and hands-on experiences. In her Tibetan guesthouse, the culture space she established is taking shape, welcoming more visitors. [Xinhua/Xu Bingjie] |
