Keeping a precious legacy alive

"Silk, as a type of protein fiber, is not easily preserved over a long time. Yunjin involves more processes. Therefore, even though there are many varieties of yunjin brocade in history, only a few have been passed down to today," Dai said.

In addition, the profound cultural connotations contained in yunjin brocade make it even more precious.

"Most of the time, yunjin was exclusively used for the imperial family, with patterns such as dragons, phoenixes, river cliffs, and water that reflect imperial culture. At the same time, folk yunjin brocade has successfully developed auspicious cultures such as flower and fruit patterns, forming a unique system of brocade culture and art," Dai introduced.

"We often talk about repairing cultural relics, but silk cannot be combined with the original material and can only be passed down through replication," Dai said, "In order to make these excellent works visible to more people, I have been committed to researching and weaving yunjin brocade and ancient silk relics."