Inheritor innovates to keep cloth relevant

A young inheritor of Chinese textile art is breathing new life into the intangible cultural heritage in Southwest China's Chongqing.

Chinese linen, or xiabu — literally "cloth for summer" — is a traditional handmade textile made from China grass, also known as ramie. Being hailed as the "king of natural fibers", the linen is comfortable, durable and easy to wash. It's also delicate, yet not as fragile as silk.

A variety of xiabu was developed in what is now Chongqing's Rongchang district during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). Royals and nobility during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) liked wearing the linen during the summer months. It was one of the first products to be exported from the region in the 20th century, with an annual output of around 700,000 bolts.

According to the district's commission of commerce, it now exports about 3 million bolts of xiabu annually overseas, of which 40 percent is sold to South Korea. Over the past three years, 13 xiabu manufacturing companies in Rongchang have exported goods worth more than 50 billion yuan ($6.93 billion).

In 2008, the Rongchang xiabu craft was listed as a national cultural intangible heritage. A historical area with vibrant culture and unique traditions, the district has also produced two other national cultural intangible heritages — Rongchang pottery making and the Rongchang folding fan craft.

"Sustaining intangible cultural heritages requires responsibility and perseverance," said 37-year-old Ma Linqin, a municipal-level inheritor of Rongchang xiabu craftsmanship.

Born in a family that has worked in the xiabu industry for three generations, Ma's interest in the fabric was sparked when she was a child, and she gradually learned the craft.

In 2010, Ma decided to return home shortly after graduating from college to work at her family's business — Chongqing Rongchang Denan Linen Textile, one of the pillar xiabu companies in the area.

It takes more than 10 procedures-including ramie fiber reaping, thread twisting, starching, reeding, weaving, bleaching and dyeing — over a period of about 20 days to make a piece of ramie cloth, Ma said.

To produce a fine cloth, a xiabu craftsperson has to weave thread up and down over 2,400 times on a 1.5-inch-wide loom, with both hands and feet working in smooth coordination. This is the most important and complex part of the whole process. "Although it's time-consuming and labor-intensive, we need to recognize that xiabu is a long-term necessity in the marketplace," Ma said.

For over a decade, the young inheritor has been experimenting with xiabu to find a way to broaden its use. As a result, she has pioneered designs that combine the fabric with various materials such as rice paper, silver, leather, embroidery and folding fans, and has applied for a few patents.

Her design of a notebook made of ramie cloth won the top prize in an innovation product design competition at the 54th National Crafts Trade Fair in 2019.

Xiabu has become well-known and utilized in the modern fashion design industry. Four years ago, Ma was pleasantly surprised to find a skirt made of ramie at an international flagship store. In recent years, several fashion week events and individual stage shows partly in need of xiabu have placed orders with her.

"Xiabu, a highly versatile material, is suitable for the entire modern industrial chain," she said.

According to the local cultural and tourism commission, Rongchang xiabu has been made into more than 1,000 products, including dresses, suits, decorative paintings, embroidery, bedding, tablecloths, towels and bags. "Our products are especially favored by the petty bourgeoisie who pursue a higher quality of life, and the consumer group is becoming increasingly younger," Ma said.

Now the company is concentrating on developing products that further enrich people's lives, such as decor that embellishes living spaces. "The use of xiabu in home decor is also very promising," Ma said, adding that some interior designers from China, Japan and South Korea use her company's linen to create high-end, minimalistic Southeast-Asian style home decor. They prefer longer-lasting xiabu over rattan weaving, she said.

Because it's easy to clean, the fabric is also suitable for making table flags, coasters and place mats. It can be also made into Zen products, such as meditation clothing and cushions. Ma's company is currently in talks with a Buddhist temple foundation to develop such products.

Over the past year, Ma has given school children across Chongqing lectures on the intangible cultural heritage and its aesthetic appeal, and has held various study activities.