Huang Xiaoqin, "China's Skilled Lady", with her silk balls. [Huo Yan]

A beautifully decorated ball made of colored strips of silk is attracting worldwide attention and reviving a 2,000-year needlework tradition.

Xiuqiu (silk ball) is a symbol of the Zhuang nationality, and China's largest minority group is pleasantly surprised at the sudden interest.

"We received 100,000 requests a year," says Huang Xiaoqin, 60, a xiuqiu master who lives in Jiuzhou, a township in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

"It's impossible for one family to complete the order." Huang's family had been so inundated with orders that they had to ask for help from their neighbors to cope.

"In the past, every Zhuang woman knew how to make a xiuqiu," says Huang. "It never occurred to us that xiuqiu could be a business."

The silk balls consist of 12 petals embroidered mostly with birds, flowers and characters with auspicious meaning and its shape symbolizes the 12 months of a year.

In ancient times, artwork on the balls depicted love scenes between young boys and girls, and girls would throw the ball to choose their husband.

Today these balls are usually used as gifts and nearly all families in the town are engaged in the industry.

In a campaign begun by the local authorities, free traditional embroidery classes are offered to local girls.

Huang's home is a designated classroom.

Sometimes her home is crowded with visitors, often from neighboring villages, who are eager to learn from Huang.

Jiuzhou is known as the hometown of xiuqiu, with about 500 families producing more than 200,000 xiuqiu every year.

In 1994, one of Huang's works, a xiuqiu 60 cm in diameter and a revolving scenic lantern, earned her the title of "China's Skilled Lady", the country's most prestigious award for craft women. "This meant so much for a rural woman," she says.

Born in a family of traditional craftsmen, Huang has a good sense of colors, design and composition.

She picked up an embroidery needle at the age of 6 to learn making xiuqiu from her family elders. "In the past, it was quite normal for Zhuang girls to learn making xiuqiu as children," says Huang. "That's what makes xiuqiu an important symbol of our culture."

In Zhuang culture, it is a long-standing tradition for girls aged 7 or 8 to learn xiuqiu needlework. At one time, the quality of handiwork was a measure of character and if the embroidery skill was considered good, the woman was deemed to make a good wife as well.

In 1997, the "King Of Xiuqiu" festival was created when celebrations were held in Hong Kong to mark the return of the territory to Chinese rule.

Huang made a large xiuqiu, 1.997 meter in diameter to greet the grand event.

The "King Of Xiuqiu" was well received by the public and won Huang much fame. Since then, Huang has been swamped with orders from across the world.

A US customer has been ordering 10,000 xiuqiu annually for three consecutive years, says Huang.

To cater to foreign customers, Huang embroiders xiuqiu with Christmas trees and doves of peace.

But her real passion is passing on her skills. "I really want to demonstrate the art in classes so that the younger generations know about this precious gift we have inherited from our ancestors."

"This craft is endangered. I really hope that the unique craft can pass from generation to generation."

(China Daily September 3, 2009)