A career that's a cut above

"March orders were three times compared with those of the same period last year," Li says.

The rising demand for ethnic costumes has made her determined to teach more local women embroidering and other costume-making skills. "Hopefully, they can open up their own businesses, which will lead to more job opportunities for locals," Li says.

Her care for the locals' lives was also one of the reasons that she got elected to represent her people to join the Beijing event.

Li wore two ethnic costumes she made specifically for the two sessions. "I wanted to wear my home costumes to the two sessions," she says.

During her stay in Beijing, Li proposed several suggestions, including stepping up follow-up support measures for the relocation of poverty alleviation sites in ethnic minority areas.

As old Bouyei tradition goes, when choosing a son-in-law, look at his ability to plow the fields, while when choosing a wife, look at her ability to weave. Growing up in such an environment, Li, like other local girls, has been exposed to how traditional clothes were made from a very young age.

"I have been learning sewing, fabric dyeing, embroidery and other handicrafts from my mother since I was a child," Li recalls. "And I dreamed of having a set of our Bouyei ethnic costumes. It wasn't until I saw the clothes I made myself that I realized how fulfilling it was."

That moment planted the seeds of her dream of pursuing a career as a tailor.

At the age of 18, Li left home for Guangdong province to make a living and help support her family.