Huaji, a type of top-quality wool fabric, which can only be produced in Zedang, a small town in the city of Shannan, Tibet Autonomous Region, is experiencing a revival following the establishment of a cooperative.
The 1,000-year-old tradition of making Huaji has a total of 18 steps, including washing the wool, twisting it into yarn, weaving it and then pressing the fabric with stones before dyeing.
"Weaving Huaji is far more complicated, as the warp and weft are very thin and they need to be weaved together very densely and tightly," Kelsang Wangdi, a craftsman working in the cooperative.
Due to the relatively rare raw materials and complex weaving techniques, for quite a long time, only dignitaries could enjoy products made out of it.
