Lijin Archive
An archive shaped by our research and reflections on Li textiles.
Explore the archiveRoots of Hainan
Traditional Li Textile Techniques
An introduction to the knowledge behind the cloth, and the understanding we develop through practice.
01 / Knowledge & context
Land & lifeThe cloth belongs
The cloth belongs
to a life.
Li textile traditions are rooted in the lives of Li communities in Hainan. Making and using cloth connects material knowledge with everyday needs and cultural expression.
Begin with the village: homes, cultivated land and forest share the same setting. The cloth belongs to this world of people, place and everyday life.
Materials & techniquesBing dyeing.
Bing dyeing.
Pattern begins in the yarn.
In the Meifu-area technique described by Zhang Jun, warp threads are bound and dyed before weaving. The pattern takes shape in the yarn, then emerges in the cloth with softly defined edges.
The relationship between dyeing and weaving makes the process part of the pattern itself.
Source
Zhang Jun, “The Aesthetic Expression of Traditional Li Textile Techniques”, Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage, 25 April 2025. English title translated from the supplied article.
02 / Our understanding
Understanding through practice.
Our understanding grows through observation, collaboration and making.
Our Study & Practice
Exploring the craft behind luxury brands and the contemporary use of textiles—from research to samples, clothing and everyday objects.
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