Pinning hopes on needlework

Yang Yueming, one of the younger generation who started learning Miao embroidery from scratch after joining Shi's company, says: "She is a person who, once she sets a goal, will work hard and persevere to achieve it.

"She is also very visionary. When developing products, she will always think about both the cultural heritage and the future of the industry."

In acknowledgment of her accomplishments, Shi was elected in 2018 as a deputy to the 13th National People's Congress.

Shi continues to take pride in her origins and the craft, and wears her own handmade Miao traditional costumes to meetings and events.

"The clothes I wear demonstrate the techniques we have inherited and my cultural confidence. I promote our culture wherever I go," she says.