What’s Wright in the World

jlamontw’s photos at Yahoo! Photos currently has 14 albums filled with China pictures, in case you missed them the first time.

at Yahoo Photos.

We’ve been back from our Jaunt around Southern China for ten days now. We took over 1000 photos between us. We are still sifting through them, putting them in some order for presentation. The working title of one package, designed as an overview of the trip, is called China: Twenty one days of sensory overload. There is so much to tell, it is hard to know where to begin.

For today, though, just one experience:

We were in the city of LiJiang. We had just traveled by bus through a range of mountains, covered with some of the lushest terraced farmlands imaginable, and had dropped down into a valley wherein that city of some 1.5 million people is situated, surrounding a beautiful lake. In an area far away from the town center, we stopped at a home of a family that has, reputedly, for centuries been in the business of fabric dying. This family makes an excellent living catering to busloads of travelers who are anxious to see “authentic” living history. Their “home” is a two story-mud brick building that surrounds an inner courtyard on three sides, with the fourth side being protected by a wall equal to the height of the buildings, and a set of solid wood double doors through which one makes entrance into the compound. The home is not ancient: It sits on a 20th century cement foundation. The walls are whitewashed, the roof is of classic red Chinese tile, upswept at the corners. The Li people decorate the exterior walls of their homes with elaborate decoupage designs, frequently featuring dragons, vines, and various flourishes.

Inside the compound, the entire first floor is devoted to the dying and selling of fabric, and things made from fabric. The impression is that all being sold was made by the family. Not true.

Most of the merchandise was purchased at wholesale from factories. This is not advertised by the ‘family,” of course. To do so would diminish the quality of the story travelers would tell about their “finds.”

The “family” did, however have a genuine history of cloth dying; which brings me to the point of this narrative. When we first entered the compound, the first thing to greet us is a giant (perhaps 200 gallon) wooden vat of ancient structure, filled with an almost black-blue dye.

A thin and jovial man in his late 40′s or early 50′s stands at the edge of the vat, his rubber gloved hands holding a bamboo stirring stick. In the vat are several crumpled pieces of cloth, absorbing the dye. On a clothes line to the left of the vat are wet indigo dyed cloths hung to dry. At the foot of the barrell are several small potted indigo plants. Our guide explained that it is the leaves from these plants that are dried, then boiled to create the indigo dye contained in the vat. Several feet away from the vat, in the center of the courtyard, is a high work table, perhaps ten feet by ten feet square. On the table is spread linen or muslin cloth, to which has been affixed a hand made template containing repetitive design features. A worker (wearing a beautiful costume of the ancient Li culture – this is a tourist attraction) uses a roller containing a very light blue ink to mark the cloth with the design from the template.

Seated near the work table was a lady who was busy sewing the patterns on the cloth into tight little bundles . There were dozens of little bundles to be sewn into each piece of cloth. Each bundle was sewn using a combination of parafein and waxed thread, and sewn so tightly that the dye in the vat would not penetrate the bundle.
At her feet (presentation is everything) were two bundles of cloth, one completely sewn and ready to be dyed, and the second a dried and partially untied tie-dyed piece of fabric, showing the final result of her handiwork.

I knew just enough Chinese to have the conversation that follows with the seamstress:
Q: How long does it take you to sew one of these cloths?
A: About 45 days (We bought one for the equivalent of $7.50 U.S-factory made, I’m sure)
Q: How long have you been doing this?
A: 63 years. How old are you?
Q: I am 68 years old
A: (laughter) I am 83 years old.
Q; You are a beautiful lady (old habits die hard).
A: (Smile).

We have traveled enough now, to recognize staged events. The family was genuine, but were expert merchandisers, each wearing the colorful traditional costumes of their culture. Nevertheless, the serenity, care and skill of this dear lady were unquestionably bona-fide. Our brief meeting was a trip highlight.

I will put a few photos on Yahoo, and invite you to look at them, when they are posted.

Enjoy!