UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritages in China (Ⅳ) (9)

Craftsmanship of Nanjing Yunjin brocade

The item, "Craftsmanship of Nanjing Yunjin brocade" was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

In the Chinese tradition of weaving Nanjing Yunjin brocade, two craftspeople operate the upper and lower parts of a large, complicated loom to produce textiles incorporating fine materials such as silk, gold and peacock feather yarn.

The technique was once used to produce royal garments such as the dragon robe and crown costume; today, it is still used to make high-end attire and souvenirs.

Preserved primarily in Jiangsu province in eastern China, the method comprises more than a hundred procedures, including manufacturing looms, drafting patterns, the creation of jacquard cards for programming weaving patterns, dressing the loom and the many stages of weaving itself.