Wulate embroidery from Bayannur, Inner Mongolia, appeared in Mexico in May 2026 as part of a Chinese embroidery art overseas tour organized by the Ministry of Education’s Center for Language Education and Cooperation. Naran Gowa, a Wulate embroidery intangible cultural heritage inheritor, showed the work “Dragon Shadow Together” in Guadalajara, Chihuahua, and Veracruz, drawing praise from local audiences.
“Wulate” Means Skilled Artisan
Wulate embroidery follows a distinctive “comb needle” technique in which threads are hand-twisted before stitching, producing three-dimensional, layered patterns. Motifs draw from flowers, birds, fish, insects, mountains, and animals, carrying auspicious meanings. Historically used on clothing and household items, the craft has expanded into brooches, earrings, ornaments, and fashion bags aimed at younger buyers.
Naran Gowa was one of only three embroidery artists selected nationwide for the Mexico tour. During the exhibitions she gave live demonstrations and explained the cultural stories behind the stitches, attracting students, scholars, and craft enthusiasts. The tour attracted nearly one thousand participants across the three cities.
Jinshijiao Brand
In 2021, Urad Middle Banner built the Jinshijiao Concentric Entrepreneurship Street, bringing together copper and silver artisans, jade workers, embroiderers, and felt makers. In 2024 the banner launched the Jinshijiao integrated brand, drawing symbols from 93 national-level cultural relics. The resulting product line spans nine categories and more than 500 items, including Wulate clothing, metalwork, embroidery, and jade inlay. Annual sales reached 32 million yuan in 2024, supporting more than 450 jobs.
Bestsellers include a “Dragon Soaring Across the Seas Prospering the Age” pendant that recorded monthly sales of 60,000 yuan and a 2 million yuan order secured at the Shenzhen Cultural Expo. The brand also operates a physical art museum, an experience store, and cultural tourism study routes.
Local artisans are combining silver engraving with embroidery and using 3D printing to digitize traditional patterns. Workshop training programs target rural women and unemployed workers, allowing many to take orders from home. Online live-streaming and short-video promotion are also being used to reach younger consumers.
The Mexico tour and the Jinshijiao brand together illustrate how a grassland embroidery tradition is being repositioned through cultural creative products, digital marketing, and international exhibitions. For Wulate artisans, the overseas showing is both a cultural exchange and a market signal that their craft can travel beyond the grasslands.
