Hainai Li Ethnic Minority Group's weaving and dyeing techniques have a long history and have unique features. They mainly produce linen textiles, cotton textiles, brocade, printing and dyeing products (including tie-dyeing), embroideries and long quilt (big belt, a kind of brocade, the most difficult one). Li women are good at spinning and weaving, and especially show ingenuity in spinning and weaving bombax cotton and local cotton. As early as the period before Song Dynasty, Li women had already known how to weave. They could weave color bed sheets and curtains. "Yazhou Quilts" had ever been sold to the Central Plains. In old times, in the inhabiting area of Li, you can see one and another textile and embroidery made by Li women no matter which mountain village you visit.
According to history records, Li's traditional cotton spinning and weaving techniques have more than 2,000 years' history. Since the Han Dynasty, Li's brocades have been offered to feudal rulers of subsequent dynasties as tribute. Cheng Bingzhao, a poet in the Qing Dynasty, once praised the exquisite craftsmanship of Li's brocade with words "Li's brocade is as beautiful and shining as the cloud in the sky". Li's brocade is so popular in that it is exquisite in workmanship, beautiful in design, practical and has the ethnic features in spinning, weaving, dyeing and embroidering.
