Huanjiang 'Four Workshops' project to promote folk culture

The Huanjiang "Four Workshops" project is one of the core projects of the Maonan pastoral complex. It is located in Chenshuang village, Si'en town, Huanjiang Maonan autonomous county, Hechi, covering an area of about 7,150 square meters and a construction area of 1,862 sq m.

The design sketch of the Huanjiang "Four Workshops" project. [Photo/Hechi Daily]

The project was launched in August 2021, the first phase of the project was completed by the end of December 2021, and the second phase of the project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

The "Four Workshops" include one main workshop and three other workshops. The main workshop is an intangible cultural heritage (ICH) workshop to display cultural products of ethnic minority groups, such as Maonan brocade, Buyi brocade, flower bamboo hats, Nuo masks, and old production tools, as well as ethnic specialties like tofu soup, konjac, pickled sour meat, and rice wine.

The three other workshops are: a batik workshop, which mainly showcases Miao people's tie-dye and batik techniques; a weaving and spinning workshop, which mainly displays Maonan brocade, Buyi brocade, and flower bamboo hat weaving techniques; as well as a painting workshop, which mainly focuses on the research of Maonan Nuo mask techniques and painted clay sculptures.

After the completion of the project, the ICH projects of 12 townships in Huanjiang will be displayed here, fully restoring the techniques behind making these national handicrafts. It will allow colleges and social groups to conduct ethnic culture research. It will also be built into an experience center where people can experience Maonan, Miao, Yao, Zhuang, and other ethnic folk cultures, which will promote the revitalization of local villages.