Su Xiaoli opened up the international market for a special Chinese embroidery technique, the disc embroidery of ethnic Tu people, from her hometown in Northwest China’s Qinghai Province. Nowadays, the products from her company are deeply loved by customers worldwide. (Photo:People's daily)

The Tu people are from a rural area near the city of Haidong, a place with innumerable mountains but little farmland. Su noticed that there were few job opportunities, but many women practicing their unique traditional handicraft.

To help her fellow villagers rise out of poverty, Su took several months collecting samples, and eventually invited local embroiderers to build a team together. To open the market, Su carried sample products with her everywhere.

With the support of the local government, Su’s products began to be sold in local scenic spots. 

Su established a company to make the life of the embroiderers better, and together they built the brand “Wei Yuan disc embroidery of the ethnic Tu people.”

Su encourages her team to add more fashionable elements into their work, to mix modern and traditional design styles, and to expand the product range by adding different embroidery into the designs of items such as clothes, bags and scarves. (Compiled by Ma Xiaoxi)