Yejuan – Representative Inheritor of Dai Brocade Craft Project in Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna
Personal Profile
Ye Juan(叶娟/周兰英), female, Dai nationality,was born in 1959. On May 26, 2009, Yejuan was selected as the representative inheritor of the third batch of state-level intangible cultural heritage projects and declared in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province.
Yejuan and Dai Brocade Craft Project
Yejuan studied brocade with her mother Yula(玉腊) at the age of 11. Because of her hard work and high understanding, she could finish brocade weaving by herself at the age of 13. She knits Dai brocade with clear patterns, proper color matching and fine workmanship, which is popular with the masses. She uses brocade to make skirts, sheets, sheets, bundles, quilts, etc., beautiful and generous, with strong national characteristics, welcomed by the local people. Not only do locals buy her works, but also foreign tourists like Yejuan from Japan, the United States and the Netherlands come to buy them. Now, she receives more and more orders from foreign tourists, and the demand exceeds supply. Brocade income accounts for one fourth of her family’s economic income.
Social Influence
Today, Yejuan teaches her brocade making skills to two apprentices, Ye Xiangbao(叶香宝) and Yuai玉爱 (daughter-in-law). Among them, 23-year-old Ye Xiangbao began to learn brocade with Yejuan at the age of 13, and became a teacher at the age of 15. Yuai began to learn brocade after she married at the age of 19, and has been able to weave brocade independently since 8 years ago. After 40 years of practice, Ye Juan’s brocade weaving skills are more skilled and comprehensive, and have a greater influence in the Dai area. She is praised by the masses as a capable brocade weaver.
Chinese Version: http://www.ynich.cn/view-ml-13110-3020.html
Translated by Winnie/张赢
