Ditan Weaving Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Ningxia had already become an important distribution center for wool. The Ningxia handmade-carpet weaving craft emerged during the Ming dynasty and had developed into a sizable industry by the Qing dynasty. By the mid-Qing period, the weaving craft had become increasingly exquisite and its style had largely matured; of the more than a thousand carpets held in the Palace Museum's collection, over 50% are Ningxia carpets.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Ningxia handmade-carpet weaving craft is a traditional handcraft with distinctive ethnic character, practiced across the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Ningxia lies in western China, in the upper reaches of the Yellow River; it borders Shaanxi to the east, Inner Mongolia to the north, and Gansu to the south, and is a meeting ground of farming and nomadic cultures. Because the region is dry with little rainfall yet abundant in pasture, and its water is slightly alkaline and highly mineralized, it is well suited to raising the Ningxia Tan sheep. The wool of the Tan sheep — pure white in color, high in down content, elastic, and lustrous — is an excellent raw material for handmade carpet weaving. The Ningxia handmade-carpet weaving craft comprises process steps such as selecting wool, opening the wool, washing it, blending it, spinning, dyeing the wool yarn, drawing patterns, weaving the carpet, leveling it, carving it, washing the carpet, grooving, and finishing. The weaving process is divided into three stages: preliminary preparation, carpet forming, and beautification and finishing. Preliminary preparation consists of four steps — selecting wool, spinning yarn, dyeing yarn, and drawing patterns; carpet forming consists of mounting the warp, binding the twist, beating the ground, tying knots, passing the weft, and shearing; beautification and finishing consists of leveling, washing the carpet, carving motifs, and finishing. When weaving a Ningxia handmade carpet, woolen threads are coiled and tied into knots, which are planted into the carpet's base ground woven from interlaced cotton warp and weft, thereby forming a raised pile. The weaving method inherits China's traditional cut-pile technique, using the "hanging-warp, weaving-weft" method and tying figure-"8" knots, while giving rise to distinctive border-warp forms such as the "herringbone" pattern. The representative "regulated" (gelüshi) composition emphasizes encircling, symmetry, and a harmonious central layout, and is composed of parts such as the "kui," "jiao," and "bian," conveying a sense of stability and serenity. In terms of color, the "three blues" palette is a defining hallmark of Ningxia carpets: three shades of blue of differing depth appear in the flowers, borders, and ground, set against red, yellow, and green to create warm-cool and light-dark contrasts — antique and understated yet full of vitality. Ningxia handmade carpets use fine materials, are thick and durable, and serve functions such as warmth retention, sound insulation, and decoration; their patterns, compositions, and color schemes embody rich historical and cultural information, standing as a typical witness to the fusion of ethnic cultures. The craftsmanship is superb, the color schemes refined, and the patterns exquisite; the works possess both the majestic elegance of palace collections and the unaffected, understated artistic style of folk art, holding high artistic-appreciation and collectible value.
Process Records
The Ningxia handmade-carpet weaving craft comprises process steps such as selecting wool, opening the wool, washing it, blending it, spinning, dyeing the wool yarn, drawing patterns, weaving the carpet, leveling it, carving it, washing the carpet, grooving, and finishing.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The transmission and study sites for Ningxia handmade carpets fall into three areas: the two large-scale enterprises in Zhongwei and Yanchi form the backbone, followed by small and medium workshops around Yinchuan and Wuzhong cities and in the Longde area of Guyuan. The weaving method follows the old "hanging-warp, weaving-weft" path, tying figure-"8" knots and producing a herringbone border; the color scheme is marked by the "three blues," with flowers, borders, and ground each taking a different shade of blue, complemented by red, yellow, and green. The Tan sheep's whitish, down-rich wool, high in down content, is the foundation that makes carpets of this region thick and long-lasting.
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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Today, the two relatively large carpet enterprises in Zhongwei City and Yanchi County are the principal bearers of transmission, while small and medium handmade-carpet workshops in Yinchuan, Wuzhong, and Longde County of Guyuan City also produce carpets, having begun to form a transmission workforce that combines the old, middle-aged, and young generations.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Kang Yusheng 03-1367
- Liu Fuguo 03-1368
- Maitusong Tudi 03-1369
- Wang Guoying 05-2806
- Liu Jingbo 05-2807
- Li Yukun
- Lu Xingqiong
- Duan Lizhen
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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