Inheritor devotes decades to pass on Tibetan carpet weaving skills in NW China's Qinghai

Yang Yongliang works at his workshop aimed at passing on Jiaya Tibetan carpet weaving skills in Shangxinzhuang town, Huangzhong district, Xining, capital of northwest China's Qinghai Province. (Qinghai Daily/Jia Hong)

Yang Yongliang, a 62-year-old inheritor of the Jiaya Tibetan carpet, has devoted himself to this traditional craft for more than five decades in Shangxinzhuang town, Huangzhong district, Xining, capital of northwest China's Qinghai Province.

As the seventh-generation inheritor of the craft in his family, Yang began to learn the ropes from his parents when he was 8 years old. This included skills like selecting the wool, twisting the threads, and dyeing the threads. By age 14, he began designing patterns that combined modern style with traditional elements, and by age 15, he was skilled enough to complete all the steps of the process independently, improving the techniques to make larger Tibetan carpets more feasible.

Yang said there are many procedures involved in the manufacturing of Jiaya Tibetan carpets, which encompasses over 70 varieties across 14 main processes.

Yang has insisted on using the wool of sheep endemic to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and maintaining traditional dyeing methods using natural plants and minerals to make Jiaya Tibetan carpets.

Traditionally, the skills have been passed down exclusively to male inheritors. Yang has broken tradition by teaching the skills to his wife, apprentices, and fellow villagers. Now over 100 rural households are engaged in the Tibetan carpet industry.

As a national-level inheritor, Yang has offered free training for farmers and herders, and from 2006 to 2023, he trained over 1,500 people annually. He established a workshop aimed at passing on Jiaya Tibetan carpet weaving skills in 2011.

In recent years, Yang has served as a technical adviser at some enterprises, offering technical support in terms of handmade Tibetan carpets. "In the past, making carpets was for survival, but now, it's to ensure this craft continues," Yang said.

Young people from other regions have come to learn the craft and Yang is pleased with their interest. "I only ask two things of them: one is to share the beauty of Tibetan carpets with their communities, and the other is to think creatively about how to develop the craft in new ways," Yang explained.

In October, Lai Ruoyan, from the Shanghai Academy of Visual Arts, studied at the institute for a week. After the course, she continued to consult with Yang online and share her works. Yang has been impressed by the creativity of young people, saying that they have many ideas, and though some are not feasible, as long as they help innovate Tibetan carpets, it's worth it.

Previously, Huangzhong district, as a targeted area for assistance from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, invited Tsinghua University to help plan the development of the Jiaya Tibetan carpet industry. The collaboration with Tsinghua has led to new product lines and livestream marketing.

Last year, Yang led his team to Xizang Autonomous Region, Shandong, Beijing and Nepal to explore new directions for the traditional craft.

The past 30 years have witnessed more and more varieties of handmade Tibetan carpets, including creative cultural products, symbolizing the strong development of Jiaya Tibetan carpets, Yang said.

Yang's son and daughter-in-law have joined the family business. Yang said they will continue to create more impressive Jiaya Tibetan carpets to pass down the traditional craft.