Pu Yuzhen - Representative Inheritor of Yi Ethnic Costume-making Skill Project in Wuding County, Chuxiong 

Pu Yuzhen, from Misanzan Village (咪三咱村), Maostreet Town (猫街镇), Wuding County (武定县), Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture (楚雄彝族自治州), Yunnan Province (云南省), is a nationally recognized inheritor of intangible cultural heritage. She is renowned for preserving and promoting Yi ethnic costume craftsmanship, transforming delicate embroidery into what is now called the “fingertip economy” — a source of income and empowerment for local women.

? Early Inspiration and Craftsmanship Journey

Pu Yuzhen’s embroidery journey began with her grandmother. At just three years old, she started learning Yi embroidery and gradually mastered 64 traditional stitches. Her artistry blends natural inspirations — mountains, rivers, vines, flowers, and animals — into exquisite textile patterns. Favorite motifs include horse chestnut blossoms (马缨花) and camellias (山茶花).

She prefers using black or blue cotton cloth as a base, pairing it with colorful silk threads, especially bright red and pink. The result is embroidery that is both vibrant and harmonious.

Techniques She Masters

Her skills cover an impressive range:

• Flat embroidery, cross-stitch, lock-stitch, braid embroidery, seed embroidery, appliqué

• Fire-grass weaving techniques

• Costume cutting and tailoring

• Decorative paper cutting

• Traditional clothing craftsmanship of five Yi subgroups in Wuding (武定): Nasu (纳苏), Naluo (纳罗), Naisu (乃苏), Luoluo (罗罗), and Sani (撒尼).

? From a Workshop to an Industry Leader

Driven by her mission to preserve Yi embroidery, Pu Yuzhen opened her first Yi embroidery shop in 1982 in Maostreet Town (猫街镇). Recognizing the need for larger-scale heritage transmission, she established the Xiongguan Yi Embroidery Association (雄冠彝绣协会) in 2012, which later grew into the Xiongguan Yi Embroidery Factory (雄冠彝绣厂).

• Membership expanded from 120 to over 1,300 embroiderers.

• Developed a model of “Association + Members + Embroiderers.”

• Products are sold nationwide through retail, wholesale, and online channels.

• Annual production: 20,000+ handicrafts and 5,000+ sets of Yi costumes.

• Annual output value: nearly 2 million RMB.

This industry has empowered local women, especially left-behind rural mothers, enabling them to “raise children, embroider flowers, and support their families.”

? Passing Down Skills and Social Impact

Pu Yuzhen has dedicated herself to training the next generation. Through workshops and training sessions, she has taught more than 10,000 students to date. She also regularly teaches Yi embroidery classes organized by institutions such as the Kunming Municipal Federation of Trade Unions (昆明市总工会) and Women’s Federation (妇联).

Honors and Recognition

• 2009 – Recognized as a county-level embroidery inheritor

• 2010 – Became prefecture-level and provincial-level inheritor

• 2016 – Named National Representative Inheritor of Yi Costume Craftsmanship

• 2023 – Documented by Yunnan Intangible Cultural Heritage Center (云南省非遗中心) through a 10-day rescue recording project to safeguard her precious knowledge and artistry

? Conclusion

Pu Yuzhen is not only a master of Yi ethnic costume craftsmanship but also a visionary cultural entrepreneur. She has successfully transformed ancient embroidery traditions into a thriving cultural industry, opening new paths of prosperity for local families. Her story is a shining example of “living heritage” in Wuding (武定), ensuring Yi culture continues to flourish for generations to come.