Last year, Chongqing explored new models of “Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) + Poverty Alleviation.” It selected 12 projects, including grass linen, embroidery, weaving, and woodcarving, which are highly industrialized with promising markets.
It held 22 sessions of training classes for ICH traditional techniques and established 18 ICH poverty alleviation workshops in 18 highly poverty-stricken townships and towns. More than realizing targeted poverty relief, these moves created far-reaching influences.
“ICH poverty alleviation saves me.”
“Youzhou Miao embroidery uses bold colors, with red and green as the main choices accompanied by other bright colors.” Chen Bihai introduced the ICH to tourists, while skillfully doing the needlework with the remaining two fingers of the left hand, which is respectable.
The 56-year-old man was a farmer living in Chaxi Village, Qingquan Township, Youyang County. He went to Binzhou, Hunan Province, for work for the first time. Unfortunately, before finding a job, a crash cost him his left leg, which had to be amputated, and three fingers of the left hand. After the wound was healed, he returned home. His wife looked after him for a while and left him, never coming back.
Chen, unable to work, had to live on subsistence allowances. 2018 celebrated the launch of the Chongqing-Shandong Joint ICH Poverty Alleviation Training Program, which was organized by the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development. Supported by the local government, the disabled man attended the training class for Youzhou Miao embroidery.
“Embroidery is not easy for men; my only two fingers of the left hand made the needle-holding more difficult,” Chen remembered he had to exercise five to six days to master the technique that others grasp within just half a day. “I knew how to do it, but my hand did not function well, and the needle even usually made me bleed.”
Chen Guotao, the inheritor of Youzhou Miao embroidery and General Manager of Youyang Ziyue Miao Culture Communication Co., Ltd., was concerned about Chen Bihai and often patiently taught him. After the training, Chen Bihai was employed by the company.
“I can earn 1,800 yuan per month and enjoy ‘Five Insurances and One Housing Fund’ now. More than that, I have traveled around the country to demonstrate the ICH and even went to Singapore once for cultural communication.” Chen Bihai gratefully said it was ICH Poverty Alleviation that saved his life.
“My family finally lift ourselves out of poverty.”
Towering and rolling ranges “blocked” Xianfeng Group members living in Huaxi Village, Zhongyi Township, Shizhu County from communicating with the outside world and made it arduous for Tan Minglan’s family to break away from poverty. Six years ago, Tan and her husband were ill, turning the family with school children became a registered impoverished household.
In April 2019, the Chongqing-Shandong Joint ICH Poverty Alleviation Training Program opened classes in Huaxi Village. Tan joined the one for grass linen, a national ICH project. “The class was for left-behind women, impoverished households, and the disabled. Teachers were warm and patient, teaching us one by one.” Tan said she mastered many techniques of grass linen, such as dyeing, embroidery, and the handicraft producing and became an employee of an ICH poverty alleviation workshop.
“I’m satisfied with this job. During the farming season, I can do farm work; when the slack season comes, I can embroider and get paid by the workshop by pieces. Farming, family caring, and money-making co-exist.” Tan said she earned over 1,000 yuan monthly at home. Plus, the money made by the couple working nearby, the annual income of the household topped 50,000 yuan last year.
ICH poverty alleviation creates far-reaching influences
“Since March 2019, when undertaking the Program, we have held six sessions of skill training and established three poverty alleviation workshops in Yanhe Township and Jiming Township of Chengkou County and Zhongyi Township of Shizhu County. As a result, 120 people, including 45 members from the registered impoverished households and eight disabled people, can now work from home.” Qi Tao, the representative inheritor of Rongchang grass linen and founder of Yes’M Autumn Grass Linen Workshop, considered this move not only realized targeted poverty alleviation in poverty-stricken areas but also trained professionals for the company and improved its output. Last year, the company’s sales exceeded 40 million yuan, increasing by over 10%.
Pi Feixia, the inheritor of the municipal-level ICH Qimeiren and President of Chongqing Qimeiren Clothes Co., Ltd., said the company held four sessions of training classes in Zhongyi Township of Shizhu County and Dajin Town of Kaizhou District, after joining the Program. They have trained over 300 people, set up two poverty alleviation workshops, and allowed more than 80 people to work from home. Last year, both of the company’s annual output and sales rose by over 10%.
Sessions of training classes brought batches of students to workshops. The ICH poverty alleviation not only efficiently realizes the fixed goals, but its far-reaching influences emerge as well. In 2019, Chongqing selected 12 ICH projects, such as embroidery, weaving, and woodcarving, which are highly industrialized with promising markets. It developed 22 sessions of training for left-behind women, impoverished households, and the disabled in 18 highly poverty-stricken townships and towns. One thousand one hundred people attended the classes, 18 ICH poverty alleviation workshops have been put into operation, and more than 630 people now work from home.