Shi Liping, a deputy to China's 13th National People's Congress (NPC), is a Miao female embroiderer from Songtao Miao autonomous county, Tongren city in Southwest China's Guizhou province.
As the seventh generation inheritor of Songtao Miao embroidery, Shi has always dreamed of using her skill to help alleviate poverty.
In 2018, Shi took her skill to southern Guizhou to train 960 people. After training, the embroiderers were not only able to earn a fixed income through piece processing, custom-made materials, etc., but some have also become successful entrepreneurs.
Through interviews and research, Shi has prepared a number of proposals for the development of the handicraft industry to help alleviate unemployment among impoverished people for the upcoming 13th NPC.
"Songtao Miao embroidery is just one of many types of handicrafts. If we develop and grow batik, paper-cutting, engraving, and other handicrafts into full-blown industries, it will help raise more people out of poverty and protect more intangible cultural heritage items," said Shi.
