Hechi's rural female workers model local silk Zhuang brocade

Hechi's agriculture and rural affairs bureau held an International Women's Day event on March 6. Female officials and employees from the city's rural development sectors stepped onto the runway in handcrafted pure silk Zhuang brocade ensembles, proudly showcasing Hechi's flagship sericulture industry.

Female officials and staff walk the runway in locally made pure silk Zhuang brocade. [Photo/Hechi Daily]

These women, who usually work on farms across Hechi, showcased silk costumes woven from high-quality local mulberry silk.

The clothes blend traditional Zhuang brocade patterns such as field and phoenix motifs with modern designs, with the silk's soft luster complementing the women's proud smiles and merging traditional culture with contemporary fashion on stage.

"We feel so confident wearing Hechi's silk Zhuang brocade," said Wei Yifang, an official from the bureau. She added that it is the pride of Hechi and the fruit of local rural workers' hard work, hoping the craft will gain more global recognition.

Hechi is working to develop its sericulture and silk industry into a 100-billion-yuan ($13.80-billion) industrial cluster and a driver of rural vitalization. Since 2005, the city has ranked first among China's prefecture-level cities in terms of mulberry garden area and cocoon output ever year.

Innovative jacquard technology has revitalized pure silk Zhuang brocade. Hechi's silk cocoons and "Southern Silk Nest" brocade garments have debuted at international events and received strong acclaim in both domestic and overseas markets.