About Enshi Tujia Hand Embroidery-Xilankapu.

Fabric: Tujia language "Xilankapu" is a Tujia brocade. In Tujia language, "Xilan" means bedding, "Karp" means flowers, and "Xilan Karp" means Tujia flower bedding. People often put the word "earth" in front of "flower quilt" to show the Tujia national characteristics contained in this folk craft. Tuhua bedding is cherished by Tujia people, regarded as the crystallization of wisdom and skill, and called "Tujia flower". According to Tujia custom, Tujia girls will weave a beautiful "Xilankapu" on the loom when they get married.

Xilankapu used red, blue, black, white, yellow and purple silk threads as warp and weft, and knitted them by hand-later by mechanical punching. Mainly used as quilt cover, bedspread, curtain, tablecloth, chair cushion, bag, art wall hanging, kits and so on. Strong color contrast, simple and exaggerated patterns, combination of realism and abstraction, full of life breath. Its patterns are based on Tujia history, such as Sifeng Seal and Wangwu Seal. There are such life customs as the morning sun with two peaks, the sound of dragons and phoenixes, the pine nuts of Kirin, Xi Shou of Fulu, yue longmen of carp, Deng Ke of Wuzi, playing with ducks, matching wild deer with plums, and marrying mice. There are natural scenery as the theme, such as Zhangjiajie scenery, Tujia diaojiao building and so on. There are also animals and plants, such as monkey flowers, tiger flowers, cat footprints, dog teeth flowers, roses, chrysanthemums, moon red and so on.

Tujia brocade is unique in technology, beautiful in shape and rich in content. Experts say it is a mother art that can be as famous as Xiang embroidery. Tujia cottage regards flower picking and embroidery as a sign to measure whether a Tujia girl is clever or not.