Festival on intangible culture highlights link to poverty alleviation in China

Xiao Hua watches the Chinese TV series The Story of Yanxi Palace, which focuses on royal life in imperial China, to see the embroidered dresses worn by actresses in the roles of the concubines.

"Some of the embroidery is relatively coarse, made by machines, but some are handmade and exquisite. I like analyzing the quality and craftsmanship," says Xiao in Chengdu, Southwest China's Sichuan province.

She recently attended the 7th International Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage Chengdu as a "city-level inheritor" of Shu embroidery, a type of needlework that originated in the province.