Embark on a journey into the world of tie-dyeing, an ancient folk art that is relatively simple to create with minimal requirements for production conditions, typically only necessitating the use of needles and threads. The essence of tie-dying involves using string or cord to secure areas of the fabric that should not be dyed, thus achieving a resist-dyeing effect. Utilizing tools such as needles, threads, boards, and plastic sheets, fabrics are bound, tied, stitched, and wrapped to produce a resist effect. After dyeing, the threads are removed, revealing the pattern, in this unique printing and dyeing technique.
The traditional process of tie-dyeing, also known as ‘zha xie’ or ‘jiao xie’, includes common ancient resist-printed textiles such as ‘jiao xie’, ‘wax resist’, and ‘ji xie’. It is a traditional and unique dyeing technique of the Han Chinese people. Tie-dyeing involves 0.1 Flower Tying, where hand-stitching and binding are combined on the original ‘earth cloth’ of traditional manual textile. Hand-stitching is the main process for forming patterns. The aesthetic taste of the stitcher plays a decisive role. The width, tightness, density, and spacing of the stitches vary, and the length, tightness, and density of the knots also differ, leading to a myriad of patterns and colors in the finished tie-dyed fabric. In the world of tie-dyeing, it is impossible to find two pieces of fabric with identical patterns or color emotions. 0.2 Immersion Dyeing, traditionally, is often done using natural dyes from plants such as Polygonum tinctorium, Isatis indigotica, Artemisia argyi, and the skins of walnuts and pears. The dyeing process involves manual repeated immersion and cold processing techniques. After more than 20 procedures of de-sizing, dyeing, and repeating, each immersion deepens the color of the textile. After multiple immersions, the fabric is washed, dried, the knots are removed, and the fabric is ironed flat, resulting in tie-dyed fabrics with unique patterns and colors. 0.3 Sun-drying involves unwrapping the tied knots, cleaning until there is no floating color, and then drying. 0.4 The final product, tie-dyeing’s unique texture and color gradients represent the perfect combination of technical and artistic skills. From ancient times to the present, tie-dyeing has not only remained timeless but has also gained more popularity. It has even been referred to as ’embroidery without needles, brocade without weaving’, indicating the depth of people’s affection for it. Tie-dyeing heritage, originating in ancient times in Yunnan, was created by the people of the southwestern ethnic minorities through long-term production practices. Over the course of history, the tie-dyeing technique has continuously evolved and improved, forming its own unique artistic style. It not only represents the wisdom and creativity of the ethnic minorities in Yunnan but also embodies the philosophical thought of harmony between humans and nature. While the technique can be easily replaced by machinery, it is the value behind tie-dyeing that keeps this living culture alive.In 2006, Dali Bai ethnic batik was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritages. The simple folk culture has become a precious cultural heritage, and batik skills have gradually received more and more attention and protection.
In Dali, we can see many relatively mature batik workshops. According to statistics, some small batik workshops in Dali can have 40 people working together every day. This provides strong support for local economic development and the protection of batik skills. In recent years, batik skills have also become one of the traditional skills that the country focuses on promoting.
