Li Yulian, a 78-year-old resident in Huangqiao town, Taixing, East China's Jiangsu province, is embroidering a pair of tiger-head shoes for a new-born baby.
Li Yulian is sewing a tiger-head shoe. [Photo/WeChat ID: tztour]
Tiger-head shoes, with their bright colors and intricate patterns, are traditionally worn by children in China to symbolize well wishes. Tiger-head shoes are named such because of the toe cap that resembles the head of a tiger or a big cat.
Li made her first pair of embroidered shoes independently in 1975. At that time, all daughters in her family learned to make such shoes to subsidize household spending, but she was the only one to inherit and master the traditional technique.
Li has been dedicated to the inheritance of this intangible cultural heritage for 48 years, and has set up a workshop with her family's support.
Li works in her workshop. [Photo/WeChat ID: tztour]
According to Li, it takes her much of a day to make a pair of shoes. She needs to place between 20 and 30 layers of cotton cloth onto the base of the shoe, and then utilize more than 200 needles, to ensure the wearer feel comfortable.
Li said she looks forward to hosting an exhibition on embroidered-shoe making techniques, which will contribute to local tourism.
