China News Service, Chuxiong, Yunnan, November 14 (Xue Zhi) "In the past, we only focused on making the embroidery on hand, but now we understand during the competition that Yi embroidery is not just embroidery, but also tells cultural stories and meets market demand." Zhao Meixiu, the head of the Embroidery Zhongxiu Clothing Manufacturing Workshop in Lufeng City, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, said on the 14th that after returning, she will share the new ideas she learned at the competition with the sisters in the workshop.
On November 13, the embroiderers sat together to complete Yi embroidery works with the theme of pomegranate seeds. Photo by Xue Zhi
From November 12th to 13th, the Chuxiong Prefecture Federation of Trade Unions held a series of activities to summarize and display the Chuxiong Prefecture 2026 Yi Embroidery Industry Labor Competition. In the form of "display + road show + promotion", the competition is used to build a growth channel, road show defenses are used to promote industrial upgrading, and the supply and demand docking is used to smooth the Yi embroidery production and sales cycle, allowing embroiderers to develop skills in learning and exchange, and also allowing Yi embroidery to increase efficiency in inheritance and innovation.
"Yi women know how to embroider with a needle." Chuxiong Yi embroidery has a history of more than 1,800 years, with beautiful patterns and diverse stitching techniques. It is an important carrier of Yi culture. In 2014, Chuxiong Yi costumes were included in the national intangible cultural heritage list. In every village in Chuxiong, embroiderers can be seen everywhere beside the fire pond and under the eaves.
How can Xiaoxiufang get rid of the dilemma of "small and weak"? How do traditional patterns enter the lives of young people? How can an embroiderer who works oddly at home become a standardized industrial worker? At the road show defense site, participating representatives took turns taking the stage. In 8 minutes, they explained the product technology, research and development ideas, the culture and production and sales model behind the patterns, and introduced the employment and training system for embroiderers. Experts in the audience asked questions around cultural inheritance, product innovation and other dimensions.
At the Yi embroidery product exhibition and production-marketing docking exchange event held at the same time, entrepreneurs, chamber of commerce representatives and embroiderers held exchanges, discussions and docking negotiations around market channel expansion, brand building, female entrepreneurship, skill inheritance and product innovation.
"Thanks to the trade union for supporting us all the way, turning the needlework in our hands into an industry that can go global for a long time." said Cha Fenglan, an employee of Nanhua Colorful Yi Embroidery Culture Communication Co., Ltd.
Outside of the competition, the embroiderers sat together, took the same material package, worked separately around the same theme, and jointly completed a pomegranate seed-themed Yi embroidery work. This "Tongxin Pomegranate" Yi embroidery skill display does not have a ranking or a competition, but focuses on exchanges and exchanges. The colorful silk threads have become a bond of communication and interaction among the embroiderers.
"On weekdays, we all work in our respective workshops and receive orders online. We rarely have the opportunity to get together like this and do household chores while embroidering." Li Ruxiu, an embroiderer from Yongren County, said that everyone relies on the same craft to increase their income, and they are as closely connected as pomegranate seeds.
"Labor competition is not the end, but a new starting point for industrial upgrading." Chen Chaogang, member and vice chairman of the Chuxiong Prefecture Federation of Trade Unions, said that in the next step, trade unions at all levels across the state will regularly carry out labor and skills competitions in the Yi embroidery industry, using competitions to promote learning, reform, and production, and continue to deepen the reform of building a team of industrial workers.
