Tibetan Cooperative Preserves Centuries-Old Pulu Weaving — SkimNews
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- Ethnic Huaji Handwoven Cooperative in Shannan, Tibet, employs more than 100 local residents — including some people with disabilities — weaving Pulu and Zeter at wooden looms, with a small showroom selling scarves, shawls, jackets, and bags.
- Pasang, a Tibetan artisan, founded the cooperative in 2008 after learning Zeter weaving from his parents at a time when fewer than 10 people still knew the craft he feared was disappearing.
- The cooperative specializes in Zeter, a finer Pulu variety made from especially soft wool from sheep necks and backs, which Pasang said was historically presented as tribute from Tibet to the Chinese imperial court during the Ming dynasty.
- The Zeter weaving craft has been recognized as part of China's national intangible cultural heritage, and Pasang said he hopes younger generations will continue practicing it.
- Statues of 7th-century King Songtsen Gampo and Princess Wencheng stand at the workshop's center — Pasang said the royal marriage, which local tradition credits with introducing weaving to Tibet, "integrated Tibetan and Chinese cultures."
- Tsering Yangchen, an 80-year-old weaver who joined the cooperative seven years ago, said she struggled to find work in another county before instructors taught her the craft.
- The Associated Press joined a government-organized trip to Lhasa and Shannan last month that bundled the cooperative visit with palaces, Buddhist temples, tourist sites, an eldercare center, and local businesses.
Why it matters: The cooperative has turned a craft that Pasang said had dwindled to fewer than 10 known practitioners into a livelihood for 100+ workers, including people with disabilities and an 80-year-old former job-seeker. Its recognition as China's national intangible cultural heritage signals state-backed preservation, though AP access came through a government-organized tour that framed the cooperative alongside Buddhist temples, palaces, and eldercare centers.
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