Tibetan cooperative keeps centuries-old weaving tradition alive
They work at the Ethnic Huaji Handwoven Cooperative in Shannan, where artisans are working to preserve one of Tibet’s oldest weaving traditions while also providing jobs for local people.
More than a dozen men and women work at wooden looms, moving shuttles through rows of wool yarn and pulling each thread tightly into place as they weave Pulu, a traditional woolen fabric that has been used on the Tibetan plateau for centuries.
They work at the Ethnic Huaji Handwoven Cooperative in Shannan, where artisans are working to preserve one of Tibet's oldest weaving traditions while also providing jobs for local people.
Founded in 2008 by Tibetan artisan Pasang, the cooperative employs more than 100 local residents, including people with disabilities. It also teaches younger Tibetans the traditional craft, which Pasang feared was gradually disappearing.
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The cooperative specializes in Zeter, a finer type of Pulu made from particularly soft wool taken from the necks and backs of sheep. Pasang said the finer wool makes the yarn more difficult to spin than the wool used to make ordinary Pulu.
Because Zeter is lighter, softer and more delicate than regular Pulu, it was presented as a tribute from Tibet to the Chinese imperial court during the Ming dynasty, Pasang said.
He learned the craft from his parents at a time when fewer than 10 people still knew how to weave Zeter.
Pasang said the craft has been recognized as part of China's national intangible cultural heritage, and he hopes younger generations will continue practicing the traditional weaving technique.
The wool used by the cooperative comes from sheep raised around Shannan, which sits about 3,700 meters (12,100 feet) above sea level.
At the center of the workshop are statues of Tibet's 7th-century King Songtsen Gampo and his Chinese bride, Princess Wencheng, surrounded by wooden looms.
According to local tradition, the weaving craft dates back to the time when Princess Wencheng introduced weaving techniques to Tibet after marrying the king.
In Chinese official history, their marriage is seen as a symbol of the historical ties between Tibet and China.
"It integrated Tibetan and Chinese cultures," Pasang said of the fabric's history.
The Associated Press visited the cooperative last month as part of a government-organized trip to Lhasa and Shannan. The trip included visits to the cooperative, palaces, Buddhist temples, tourist sites, an eldercare center and local businesses.
A small showroom next to the workshop displays scarves, shawls, jackets, bags and other products made from Pulu and Zeter.
Pasang said most of the products are sold in Tibet, although customers from other parts of China also buy them.
Tsering Yangchen, an 80-year-old woman, has worked at the cooperative for seven years. She moved to Shannan from another county and said she struggled to find work before joining the workshop, where instructors taught her and others the weaving techniques.
For her, Pulu is more than simply a product she makes.
"We usually wear them," she said. "They are made from pure wool."
