Ancient Yi embroidery turns into thriving business in SW China's Yunnan

Models present creations featuring embroidery of the Yi ethnic group from Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Yunnan Province during the 2025 China Fashion Week (Autumn) in Beijing, on Sept. 8, 2025. (China News Service/Jiang Qiming)

Ahead of this year's annual sessions of China's top legislature and political advisory body, Jin Ruirui, a deputy to the National People's Congress and a representative inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Yi embroidery from Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Yunnan Province, was busy rushing Spring Festival orders.

What began as her wish to help the millennia-old craft "go beyond the mountains and across the seas" has become her daily commitment.

"Yi girls learn embroidery as soon as they can hold a needle," Jin said. With a history of more than 1,800 years, Yi embroidery features exquisite patterns and diverse stitching techniques, serving as an important carrier of Yi culture. In recent years, the ancient craft has stepped out of the mountains and appeared on fashion week runways in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, New York and Paris. By blending with modern fashion design, it has repeatedly crossed into new markets and audiences.

Jin began learning 14 traditional embroidery techniques at the age of 11. After graduating from college, she returned home and started a company dedicated to promoting Yi embroidery. She combines traditional Yi embroidery patterns with modern designs to create wearable and practical items, such as clothing, accessories, bags, and notebooks, making this ancient craft a part of everyday life.

Jin Ruirui (second from left), a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC), walks out of the Great Hall of the People with other deputies after the conclusion of the second plenary meeting of the third session of the 14th NPC in Beijing, on March 8, 2025. (China News Service/Yang Kejia)

In 2023, Jin was elected a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC). At the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, she wore Yi embroidery and proposed initiatives to promote the development of Yi embroidery and preserve cultural heritage. Later that year, in September, the Yi embroidery garments she designed were showcased at Milan Fashion Week 2023.

Over the years, she has helped more than 2,000 women find jobs and empowered many of them to start their own businesses.

In 2025, the added value of the Yi embroidery industry in the prefecture reached 344 million yuan (about $50.08 million). The average annual income of 62,000 local embroiderers increased by between 20,000 yuan and 40,000 yuan. This ancient craft is gaining international recognition, with 32 Yi embroidery promotion centers established overseas.