Zhang Chaosong (left), an 18-year-old xiabu weaver, works at the looms with his father, Zhang Jianding. (LU XU/  FOR CHINA DAILY)

Literally meaning "the fabric of summer", xiabu is a traditional Chinese handwoven fabric with a history dating back to the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD). People wore clothes made of xiabu to be cool and comfortable, especially during the ancient Shu Kingdom period (221-263) where it was worn by people in Sichuan province and Chongqing municipality to beat the sweltering heat.

The fabric is made from ramie, a type of vegetable fiber known as Chinese grass. In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it was a highly prized commodity and was exported to Japan, Korea and some Southeast Asian countries. In the 1980s and 1990s, more than 100,000 bolts of xiabu cloth were sold overseas every year. Then in 2008, the xiabu weaving technique of Chongqing's Rongchang district was added to the national intangible cultural heritage list.

Visitors admire a robe made from xiabu on display at the xiabu museum in Rongchang Grass Linen Town, Chongqing. The robe was unearthed in 1972 from the Mawangdui tombs of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) in Changsha, Hunan province. (LU XU/  FOR CHINA DAILY)

However, production of the cloth has declined due to its complex manufacturing processes and other difficulties. To promote the intangible cultural heritage, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology opened a xiabu technique training center in Rongchang in 2018. The center has since organized more than 60 training sessions, benefiting more than 5,000 locals engaged in xiabu production.

Shen Huaju, an associate professor at the institute and head of the training center, is satisfied with the progress made so far. "Our institute has conducted exchanges and cooperation with experts in South Korea and Japan, and made progress in improving xiabu production, innovating and raising its brand awareness in the public," he said.

Customers browse through clothes made from xiabu at a store in Rongchang Grass Linen Town. (LU XU/  FOR CHINA DAILY)

Rongchang Grass Linen Town, a cultural tourism site that opened in September 2018, has a xiabu museum, 24 buildings featuring architectural styles of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, and 17 xiabu workshops that allow tourists to experience the fun of weaving.

Cao Qingyao, Party secretary of Rongchang, said there are more than 20,000 residents in Rongchang engaged in xiabu related businesses, and the value of xiabu exports reached US$105 million in 2018.

In September last year, the district government issued a guideline on expanding the xiabu industry. By 2023, the district will set up an 800-hectare ramie plantation base and hopes to reach an annual sales target for xiabu products of 5 billion yuan (US$736 million).

Dong Jidong contributed to this story.

Li Jiankang, an inheritor of the xiabu weaving technique in Rongchang, operates a loom. (LU XU/  FOR CHINA DAILY)

Rongchang resident Huang Rongmin weaves xiabu on a loom. Huang used to work in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, before returning to her hometown to work in the xiabu industry. (LU XU/  FOR CHINA DAILY)

Zhang Jianding uses a measuring tool to check the dimensions of the xiabu cloth. (LU XU/  FOR CHINA DAILY)

Li bleaches ramie fibers outside his workshop. (LU XU/  FOR CHINA DAILY)