Zhoucheng Village, hometown of tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group in China's Yunnan

Duan Yinmei (L), an inheritor of the tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group, and handicraftsman Duan Lilan untie knots on fabrics in a dyehouse in Zhoucheng Village of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Known as the hometown of the tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group, Zhoucheng Village hosts over 200 households engaging in tie-dye businesses, with the number of employees exceeding 4,000.

As a traditional folk technique of the Bai ethnic group, tie-dye boasts a history spanning over a thousand years and was included in the first batch of China's national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006. Tying and dyeing are the core steps in the process of making indigo tie-dye products. Artisans use needles and threads to create various patterns on the fabric, which are then dyed with plant-based dyes, resulting in blue backgrounds adorned with vivid white patterns. 

Duan Yuan, an inheritor of the tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group, makes tie-dye designs in a dyehouse in Zhoucheng Village of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Duan Yinmei (L), an inheritor of the tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group, and handicraftsman Duan Lilan dry tie-dye fabrics in a dyehouse in Zhoucheng Village of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Duan Yinmei (R), an inheritor of the tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group, and handicraftsman Duan Lilan create knots on fabrics in a dyehouse in Zhoucheng Village of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Duan Yuan (L), an inheritor of the tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group, dyes fabrics in a dyehouse in Zhoucheng Village of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Duan Yinmei, an inheritor of the tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group, dyes patterns on fabrics in a dyehouse in Zhoucheng Village of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

An aerial drone photo shows a scene at a dyehouse in Zhoucheng Village of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Duan Yinmei, an inheritor of the tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group, dyes patterns on fabrics in a dyehouse in Zhoucheng Village of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

A woman experiences the tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group in a dyehouse in Zhoucheng Village of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Duan Yinmei, an inheritor of the tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group, creates knots on fabrics in a dyehouse in Zhoucheng Village of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Duan Yuan, an inheritor of the tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group, makes tie-dye designs in a dyehouse in Zhoucheng Village of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Duan Yuan, an inheritor of the tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group, rinses dyed fabrics in a dyehouse in Zhoucheng Village of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Duan Yinmei (L), an inheritor of the tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group, and handicraftsman Duan Lilan untie knots on fabrics in a dyehouse in Zhoucheng Village of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Duan Yuan, an inheritor of the tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group, dyes fabrics in a dyehouse in Zhoucheng Village of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Duan Yuan, an inheritor of the tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group, makes tie-dye designs in a dyehouse in Zhoucheng Village of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

Duan Yinmei, an inheritor of the tie-dye technique of Bai ethnic group, unties knots on fabrics in a dyehouse in Zhoucheng Village of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Nov. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)