Tengchong Embroidery

Tengchong Embroidery

　　Tengchong folk embroidery boasts a long history.

With the development of the market and the improvement of people’s material and cultural life, this age-old embroidery tradition gave rise to the establishment of Tengyue Yuanjiao Craft Garments Co., Ltd. The company has extensively explored, collected, sorted, selected, and developed traditional hand-embroidered patterns, and learned from the strengths of China’s Four Famous Embroideries, integrating them into its handmade embroidery. These techniques have been applied to various products, creating a unique and vibrant collection of hand-embroidered Yuanjiao patterns. The designs feature bright colors, exaggerated and lively imagery, and lifelike details, reflecting a warm and romantic harmony between humans and nature. They carry a strong ethnic flavor, cater to diverse cultural aesthetics, and have given rise to the distinctive Yuanjiao embroidery brand. This has ensured the excellent inheritance and development of Tengchong embroidery as a folk art form. The company produces over ninety different products in various patterns and styles, including baby carriers, vests, aprons, mobile phone cases, sleeves, capes, children's clothing, insoles, and ethnic costumes. The embroidered items are exquisitely handmade, with some customers even noting that they have more three-dimensional texture than China’s Four Famous Embroideries. The company has also applied for product design patents and has obtained 25 national patents.

Nearly all Dai villages in Tengchong County are skilled in making Dai brocade. For a long time, Dai women produced brocade mainly to meet their own household needs or to give as gifts to close relatives and friends, rarely selling it as a commodity. In recent years, however, Dai women have also started selling their brocades within the county and in other cities and counties, where they have become very popular with customers.

The tools used to make Dai brocade are ancient wooden looms, and the materials consist only of ordinary cotton thread along with various colored wool and silk threads. Thanks to the skillful craftsmanship and expertise of Dai brocade artisans, the finished products are truly exceptional. The textiles feature exquisite compositions, innovative designs, meticulous workmanship, and vibrant colors. Those used to make tube skirts (tube purses) often include patterns of peacocks, flowers, and plants, or even Chinese and Dai scripts, making them highly valuable for appreciation. They are high-quality, beautiful everyday items and travel souvenirs.