Zhuang Innovation

    With a history of over 1,000 years, Zhuang brocades have stood out for their exquisite designs and durability. Their techniques have been adopted by people in other provinces to produce beautiful and long-lasting cloth.

    Traditionally, Zhuang brocade is made on the “pig cage” loom, a device with a wood frame, basic gears and a bamboo-woven cage that threads run across to form raised patterns. The structure is not complicated, but shows the working principle behind a modern jacquard mechanism. Brocade produced by this kind of manual machine takes on the characteristic three-dimensional texture and permits many more varieties of pattern.

    In order to make a perfect color match, people often use cotton or jute yarns for the warp and thrown silk for the woof. At the same time, one direction is normally done in primary hues and the opposite in brighter or lighter colors.

    The Zhuang brocade is famous for its rich colors. Zhuang people like colorful objects, and often make clothes and embroidery with five-color floss. The tints are luxurious but not vulgar, primitive but conforming to aesthetic values.

    Geometrical patterns such as squares and concentric circles are commonly seen in Zhuang brocades. Apart from these, there are also many traditional designs that incorporate clouds, flowers, plants, waves and animals, as well decorative patterns symbolizing bliss and contentment. Phoenix, an auspicious symbol in China, often take a dominant role in the designs. Perhaps the most famous pattern is “phoenixes flying in pairs.” Some patterns also embody Chinese themes and legends such as “two dragons playing with a pearl,” “carp leaping over the dragon gate,” “lions playing ball” and “butterflies courting flowers.”

    In recent years, more patterns have emerged, reflecting new themes such as grain harvests and the unity of ethnic groups. Furthermore, the picturesque landscapes where Zhuang people reside also inspire them to recreate their beautiful mountains and rivers in their designs. All these patterns represent the life of the Zhuang people and serve to further enrich traditional brocades.

A gift Zhuang brocade is presented by Ma Biao (second left), chairman of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to Mrs. Cecilia Koo, widow of Koo Chenfu, late chair of the Straits Exchange Foundation.

    In 2007, a brocade was woven to depict Victoria Harbor for the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China. The elaborate piece, 3.5 meters in length and 2.4 meters in width, is the largest Zhuang brocade in the world. This wonderous gift, carrying best wishes to Hong Kong and now preserved in a government building, remains much admired by the island’s residents.

    Brocade weaving is a must-learn for Zhuang women. To the local people, a brocade quilt-cover is indispensable as a dowry. Therefore, a girl must begin to learn the weaving skill before reaching marriageable age. Zhuang brocade is not only the material traditionally selected for bedding, ethnic costumes and handbags, but is also found on contemporary catwalks, glimmering on models of various nationalities.

    In the past two decades, new technologies have been adopted and put into the production of Zhuang brocade; modern factories have been set up, contributing to significant improvement in the variety and quality of the fabric. However, there are still a number of villages in Guangxi specializing in the production of hand-made brocades.

    Perennially popular among Chinese and foreigners, the wide-range of designs, well-knit structures, vivid patterns and rich colors all reflect the wisdom and the optimistic character of the Zhuang.

    Zhuang brocade not only provides material for research on the weaving inventiveness of China’s ethnic groups, but also stands as a towering landmark in the history of weaving.