Villagers inspired to preserve charm of Dong ethnic culture

Born and raised in a Dong ethnic village in Southwest China's Guizhou province, Lu Yongmei started to learn at the age of 6 making Dong cloth, a traditional handmade fabric boasting a history of more than 1,000 years.

Noticing that villagers' interest in this craft was declining, Lu, together with several like-minded partners, founded a farmers' cooperative in 2014. Their goal was to preserve the craftsmanship and let more people know the economic value of traditional handicrafts, helping villagers, especially women, improve their livelihoods.

To date, Lu, now 40, has organized over 40 skills training sessions, providing free instruction to more than 3,000 participants and enabling over 1,200 villagers to earn incomes without having to leave their children and hometown.