Basang

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Basang, Male, Tibetan, from Shannan, Tibet, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Maofangzhijiganzhijiyi (Ⅷ-101). The tradition is documented in Shannan, Tibet. Within the regional tradition and school record of Maofangzhijiganzhijiyi in Shannan, Tibet: Zetier recognizes only the mountains and waters of Shannan: the sheep are taken for the fine soft wool beneath the neck and on the back, and when washed in clear water the wool roots point downward and the sheep's heads upward; after air-drying it is divided into portions and brushed into triangles. The loom carries fully one hundred eighty-four to one hundred ninety reeds, with double-ply warp and single-ply weft, and after weaving a large stone must press it for three to four days before it may be immersed and dyed. In the area of Changzhu Monastery, the Han-region experience left by Princess Wencheng and local Tibetan tradition converge. In 641 AD, Princess Wencheng of the Tang dynasty was married far away to Songtsen Gampo of Tibet. Beginning in the mid-14th century, the Zetier (Zetie'er) weaving technique received attention and was gradually developed and perfected, continuing to the present day.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Basang is anchored in the documented technical standards of Maofangzhijiganzhijiyi in Shannan, Tibet. Within the documented technical tradition of Maofangzhijiganzhijiyi in Shannan, Tibet: The Zetier weaving technique is a form of woolen-textile and felting craft, distributed in Zedang Town, Ndoi District, Shannan City, Tibet Autonomous Region. Zedang Town lies in the central-south of Tibet, south of the Gangdise Mountains and in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River. For thousands of years, the snowy plateau has maintained the custom of weaving woolen textiles such as pulu, aprons, and Tibetan quilts from sheep's wool. Zetier is a fine local woolen handicraft of Zedang, regarded as a superior product among Tibetan pulu. The making of Zetier is quite exacting, from the selection of materials to the weaving process. Weaving Zetier requires the finest soft wool from beneath the necks and from the backs of sheep, first cleaned in clear warm water with the roots of the wool downward and the tips upward. After washing it is air-dried, then divided into portions and brushed so that the wool takes a triangular shape. Next comes twisting the yarn: for the coarse twist, the thread is wound around a wooden spindle between the thumb and middle finger; for the fine twist, the already-twisted warp threads are reverse-twisted in two strands to increase the tenacity of the wool yarn. Unlike other pulu, which are woven after mounting the loom, Zetier's loom carries as many as 184 to 190 reeds, and requires double warp and weft with single weft weaving; finally a large stone must press it for three to four days before it can be dyed. The woven Zetier is soft in texture and bears a distinctive twill pattern. After Songtsen Gampo's death, Princess Wencheng lived on in the Yarlung valley (Changzhu Monastery). Over a period of more than thirty years, Princess Wencheng and her retinue successively spread the advanced culture and craft of the Han regions to the Tibetan lands. The predecessor of Zetier, the Tibetan pulu, was in this historical period a purely handmade woolen textile product born of the combination of Tubo's traditional textile techniques with the advanced textile craft of the Han regions. The Zetier weaving technique is the crystallization of the wisdom of the people of Shannan, and also a fruitful result of ethnic cultural exchange. Costumes made with this technique are an outstanding representative of Shannan dress, and provide concrete examples for the study of Tibetan woolen-textile craft and traditional costume. This item has achieved remarkable results in driving employment and helping the public secure jobs and increase income, making a positive contribution to the economic and social development of Ndoi District. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Archival Record of Process Steps": The making of Zetier is quite exacting, from the selection of materials to the weaving process.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Basang was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Maofangzhijiganzhijiyi, with Shannan, Tibet as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Maofangzhijiganzhijiyi in Shannan, Tibet: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Shannan, Tibet as its declared area, and Naidong District Ethnic Huajishougongbianzhi Professional Cooperative as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Basang (Shannan, Tibet) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Basang · China ICH Official Archive