STORY: Miao silver handcrafts shine beyond China's Guizhou
SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 16, 2023
DATELINE: Nov. 29, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:12
LOCATION: GUIYANG, China
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Miao people celebrating the festivals
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): JIANG SHENGFEI, Miao people
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHANG YONGFU, Miao silversmith
4. various of Miao silver ornaments
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): ZHANG YONGFU, Miao silversmith

STORYLINE:

Local craftsmen are dedicated to developing the Miao silver jewelry-making technique in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou province.

The Miao people have the tradition of wearing silver jewelry, especially during holidays. 

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): JIANG SHENGFEI, Miao people
"This is my silver crown. My mother prepared it for me for the Guzang Festival, which is celebrated every 13 years."

Zhang Yongfu, 43, is a Miao silversmith who has been forging silver jewelry for nearly 30 years.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHANG YONGFU, Miao silversmith
"I learned this craft from my uncle at a young age. I went out to work in the 1990s. Because of my love for it, I came back home and started to make silver jewelry. In Guizhou, the craft of brushing has won a place in the market. The thick silver bar can be drawn into thin silver lines through the board. Then the silver lines can be knitted into patterns of butterflies or flowers. The silver has to go through more than 100 procedures to be thin enough."

The Miao silver jewelry-making technique was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. 

Thanks to e-commerce, the old craft and shinning jewelry have been introduced to a broader market. 

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): ZHANG YONGFU, Miao silversmith
"We used to make them at home and then took them to the bazaar. We set up a stall and sold them to the people from the neighboring villages. Now we make some innovative products and sell them across the country through live-streaming."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Guiyang, China.
(XHTV)