CHENGDU, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Tucked away in the snowy valley of Maisu Township, Dege County under Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, the "Khyenle Guesthouse" on the scenic Sichuan-Xizang Highway buzzes with activity.
"We've been fully booked recently with magazine teams and social media influencers coming to capture our unique culture," said Dawa Drolma, a young Tibetan proprietor, in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
Dawa Drolma hails from a family steeped in the ancient craft of Lima copper casting. This intricate technique, involving a blend of gold, silver, tin, zinc and other metals, has been passed down for six generations in her family.
Despite the art's beauty, she grew up witnessing the challenges of bringing these treasures beyond her hometown. The aspiration took her to the United States in 2013, where she pursued marketing and business management studies.
Immersing herself in global perspectives, including an internship at the Smithsonian Institution, she drafted a business plan for a workshop named Khyenle. In 2017, armed with new skills and insights, she returned home, determined to transform the family workshop.
Dawa Drolma and her brother expanded the workshop, introduced innovative product designs and embraced online platforms to reach a wider audience.
Today, their Lima copper creations, from traditional Buddhist statues to modern cultural merchandise, are sold worldwide. The workshop became profitable, paying off family debts and creating opportunities for local artisans, contributing to community prosperity.
"When I was a child, career aspirations were unclear for most of us. Now, many children dream of becoming artisans," the young businesswoman said.
Maisu boasts over 30 handicraft workshops and over 2,000 artisans skilled in copper casting, black pottery, yak hair weaving and more. The "Maisu Handicraft" brand, registered by Dege County, is paving the way for Tibetan cultural industries.
Dawa Drolma and her brother are leading examples of the blend of tradition and innovation in Garze, a hub for intangible cultural heritage, with 555 items listed in various heritage directories.
The prefecture is also home to 11 national-level inheritors, 101 provincial-level inheritors, and 595 at the prefectural level. Over 20,000 people are engaged in traditional craft production, placing the prefecture at the forefront of Sichuan Province.
In Litang County, young entrepreneurs Silang Qoezhoen and Zhoima Lhamo have led a project since 2018 that helps local Tibetan women produce artisanal soaps made from yak milk and butter.
The soaps, which visitors have nicknamed "Gifts from the Plateau," highlight the region's cultural heritage and growing entrepreneurial landscape.
"Many of these women had spent their lives herding and doing household chores," said Zhoima Lhamo. Now, they not only contribute to their families but also realize their self-worth, she added.
Over the years, Garze has made significant strides in preserving and promoting its intangible cultural heritage. Efforts to cultivate a diverse group of grassroots inheritors are underway, alongside developing dynamic methods for living heritage transmission. ■
