beijing
On November 24th, the 2025 "China Travel · Nansha State of Mind —— Live Exploration and Immersion with Global Creators" event kicked off in Nansha District, Guangzhou. International creators and Gen Z youth from Germany, France, Russia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and other countries stepped into the Yunsha Xingyun Xiangyunsha (Intangible Cultural Heritage) Cultural Park.
International creators and Gen Z foreign youth visit the exhibition hall of Xiangyunsha (Intangible Cultural Heritage) Cultural Park
Photo by Huang Shi
International creators and Gen Z foreign youth visit the Song brocade loom
Photo by Huang Shi
The master skillfully operates the loom
Photo by Huang Shi
Beside the loom, skilled craftsmen deftly manipulated the silk threads, as patterns of the jacquard gauze gradually emerged in sync with the rhythm of the loom. Mathieu, a Gen Z foreign youth from France, followed the master's movements, occasionally capturing the process with his camera. "As a Frenchman, I naturally place great value on handcrafted standards. I truly admire how dedicated Chinese artisans are in making handmade fabrics," he said. "I hope more foreigners like me can see these wonderful Chinese creations. When we hear 'Made in China', we often assume it means mass machine production, but China also has many purely hand-crafted intangible cultural heritage products like Xiangyunsha." In his view, the ingenuity of ancient looms and the innovations of modern technology together embody not only the transmission of craftsmanship but also a civilization's enduring pursuit of beauty.
Russian international creator Ante shoots a video
Photo by Huang Shi
Participating in the production of Xiangyunsha allowed international creators and Gen Z foreign youth to sense the Chinese philosophy embedded in this intangible cultural heritage. At the "sun-drying ramie" site, they experienced firsthand a craft that interacts with nature. Ante, an international creator from Russia, spread the dyed silk fabric across the grass. Watching its color deepen under the sunlight, he remarked: "The production of Xiangyunsha does not fight against nature; it exists in harmony with nature. This idea of 'Unity of Heaven and Humanity' aligns with today’s global advocacy for sustainability. Chinese craftsmen, thousands of years ago, were already interpreting environmental wisdom in the simplest way."
Scene of sun-drying ramie
Photo by Huang Shi
In contrast to the quiet waiting at the sun-drying field was the hands-on fun in the "river mud printing" area. Under the guidance of the staff, international creators and Gen Z youth evenly applied river mud onto scarves dyed with Chinese gallnut juice. After waiting for just over ten minutes, the delicate patterns revealed under clean water amazed everyone. "This is not just simple handcraft, it is a 'cooperation between nature and craftsmanship'," said Lao Bai, an international creator from Nigeria, holding up the scarf he had made in admiration.
Nigerian international creator Lao Bai shoots a video
Photo by Huang Shi
Nigerian international creator Lao Bai shows the finished square scarf
Photo by Huang Shi
Colorful Xiangyunsha scarves in the exhibition hall
Photo by Huang Shi
Russian international creator Ante tries on Xiangyunsha clothing
Photo by Huang Shi
Sunlight settles into the hues of time on the ramie-drying field, while the loom whispers stories of inheritance in the intangible cultural heritage hall. When international guests pack a piece of handmade Xiangyunsha into their luggage, Nansha's cultural memory is no longer an abstract concept—it becomes a tangible warmth and shared resonance. This "soft gold" dyed with river mud and sunshine, will ultimately, with its unique texture, become a gentle poem through which the world comes to understand Nansha.
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