The Li people of Hainan were at the forefront of Chinese textile development for centuries, and still use traditional methods today
Chinese history buffs may be familiar with the name Huang Daopo, or Madam Huang, a rare example of an ordinary woman who left her mark on history. Born on the mainland near Shanghai in 1245, Huang was sold into marriage by her family at a young age, and forced to work on the family farm of her husband all day and spin cotton all night. Growing tired of her ill treatment, Huang fled and hopped on a boat on the Huangpu River to sail away to freedom, eventually becoming an innovator of China’s late 13th century textile industry. While Huang Daopo is famous for being a textile pioneer in Shanghai, many don’t know that she spent more than 30 years honing her skills with the Li people on Hainan Island.
The Li are celebrated as the leaders of textile technology development in China. Using their tropical surroundings to their advantage, they sourced various fibers from the rainforests and invented new weaving techniques. Along with hemp and cotton, there are over 100 species of plants on the island that can be spun into weaving fibers. The most well-known of the textiles developed by the Li people is the Li brocade (黎锦). The woven fabric has been nicknamed a “living fossil” in Chinese textile history, with the technique still flourishing today.
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