Ning Manli, a woman from east China's Anhui Province, has devoted her life to helping Miao women, in Danzhai (a county in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, in southwest China's Guizhou Province), develop and promote the traditional batik craft during the past decade. While leading the women in reviving their traditional, hometown craft, Ning has helped them realize their dreams of getting rich, through hard work. 

Loud, clear singing can be heard every evening in a four-story building (in Danzhai), in which Ning teaches 48 Miao women how to sing Blue Lotus, her favorite song. Guizhou Danzhai Ninghang Batik Craft Co., Ltd., established by Ning in November 2009, is situated in the building. In 2014, China's Ministry of Culture included the company on the list of China's State-level experimental bases that protect intangible cultural heritage.

Ning "fell in love" with the Miaos' traditional batik craft, at first sight, 14 years ago when she visited Kaili, another county in the prefecture. She made special trips to several villages (in the prefecture), to conduct market surveys on the craft. Eventually, she decided to lead women in Paimo (a village in the prefecture) in developing and promoting the traditional craft. 

During the first few months, Ning had a difficult time persuading Miao women (in Paimo) to join her in promoting the craft. Why? In accordance with Danzhai's customs, every Miao woman teaches the craft to her daughter(s). The women could hardly believe they could earn a profit by selling batik items. However, Ning did not give up hope. Eventually, several Miao women joined Ning's company.

Based on Ning's description of the scenes depicted in a book, the Miao women in early 2016 created an 80-meter batik painting, which vividly depicted the daily lives of 540 people of various minority groups (including the Miaos, Yis and Dongs). 

In May 2016, experts and scholars, from the Chinese National Museum of Ethnology (in Beijing), visited the prefecture, to conduct field research on cultural heritage. Impressed by the Miao women's batik works, including the above-mentioned batik painting, the experts and scholars persuaded the museum's leaders to house the works. 

Ning will never forget how excited she was when she led dozens of Miao craftswomen (who worked for her company) in attending the opening ceremony of the exhibition of Danzhai Miaos' batik artworks, in the Cultural Palace of the Nationalities (in Beijing) in July 2016. "For the first time in our lives, we attended an art show in the capital," recalls Ning. 

When Cheng Hao, an art designer in Beijing, entered the palace in October 2016, the Miao women's exquisite batik works immediately caught his eyes. Within a short time, he made a special trip to Danzhai, to visit Guizhou Danzhai Ninghang Batik Craft Co., Ltd., to find inspiration (for his fashion design) from the Miao women's batik works. Several months later, Cheng held a fashion show (in Beijing), during which the custom-made fashionable batik dresses, created by him and the Miao craftswomen (with the company), were a hit. 

In February 2020, the 36 batik dresses, created by Cheng and the craftswomen, debuted during the Autumn/Winter London Fashion Week. Given the ingenious designs and the exquisite workmanship, numerous people the world over were fascinated with the dresses. 

The revival of Miaos' traditional batik craft, in a way, has changed many Danzhai women's lives. For example, given her superb workmanship, Yang Naijin, a craftswoman with Ninghang Batik Studio (under Ning's company), has been employed by Qiandongnan Nationalities Polytechnic (in the prefecture), as a guest professor, to teach students how to create batik works. Yang has also provided courses at Guangxi Arts University (in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), to help students better understand the unique charm of the Miaos' batik craft. 

Yang Changlan, a young deaf-mute woman, has been working in the studio for nearly 10 years. Given Yang's outstanding talent at creating exquisite batik works, Ning has often referred to her as a "genius." 

"Previously, we, who lived in the mountainous areas, had little chance to get to know the outside world ... During the past several years, Ning has taken us to different parts of the world, to attend national and international cultural events. The trips were really eye openers for us, as they helped us understand the broad, colorful world," a Miao craftswoman (with Ning's company) has been quoted as saying. 

Photos Supplied by VCG

(Source: Xinhua/Women of China)