Dong fabric

Dong fabric

　　Dong fabric

　　The women of the Dong ethnic group are skilled in spinning and weaving. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, every Dong household owned wooden spinning wheels and looms. The Dong people’s clothing was mostly made from self-spun and self-dyed “Dong fabric,” which came in coarse and fine varieties. Dong fabric is durable and features bright indigo-blue dyes. Its dyeing process is elaborate: first, it is dyed three to four times with indigo (a dye made from self-cultivated Polygonum tinctorium leaves and lime—each dyeing session is followed by rinsing and sun-drying) until it turns blue; second, the blue fabric is further dyed with mashed and juiced persimmon peel, strychnos peel, and red-root powder to achieve a greenish hue; third, it is repeatedly dyed with indigo again to bring out a bluish-red color; and fourth, it is treated with ox-hide glue for sizing, making the fabric stiff and colorfast. Young women prefer to wear soft garments in bluish tones with red undertones, and some even steam the fabric with sweet potato tubers for about two hours as part of the finishing process.

　　Dong blankets, Dong scarves, and patterned sashes

　　Dong blankets and scarves are handwoven on wooden looms using bamboo needle shuttles, involving a highly intricate craft. They feature patterns of birds, beasts, insects, and various flowers and plants, with bright colors, clear lines, and a simple yet elegant aesthetic. Patterned sashes are not machine-woven. After arranging the warp and weft threads, one end is tied around the waist, the other hooked onto the toe, and the sash is woven by hand using a bamboo needle. Besides household use, in the past, Dong girls often gave patterned sashes as tokens of love.