The Miao ethnic group has a long tradition of embroidery, which mostly appear on the Miao costumes as decorations. In recent years, Pingbian county has rejuvenated the traditional ethnic craft by establishing the Miao embroidery association. 

Joining hands with the embroidery businesses and associations, the county built up the Xiumeng (dream embroidering) museum, where embroidery training is offered to local house wives. And Pingbian thus created a new model for poverty alleviation. 

Yang Chaozhen and Yang Chaoli are embroiderer sisters from the county’s Tongzi Village, and they used be on the extremely impoverished list. 

Having learned embroidery in the Xiumeng museum and worked at the poverty-alleviation workshop under the museum, they both have made more friends with like-minded people and increased their income.

Using their own needles and threads, the sisters are now receiving more embroidery orders, and embark on a brand new life.

Over the past years, Yunnan has battled hard against poverty, strengthening vocational training for rural labors and cultivating advantageous industries. So far, Pingbian county has built up 4 poverty-alleviation workshops and 28 embroidery work stations.