Song Shuixian: inheritor of horsetail embroidery

我这一生只为马尾绣。

I live only for horsetail embroidery.

我叫宋水仙，水族，

I’m Song Shuixian, a member of the Shui ethnic group.

我的家乡在三都水族自治县。

My hometown is Sandu Shui Autonomous County.

我也是国家级非物质文化遗产马尾绣传承人。

I’m an inheritor of horsetail embroidery, a national intangible cultural heritage.

马尾绣是我们水族传承千年的记忆，

Horsetail embroidery has been passed down by Shui people for a thousand years.

是刺绣中的活化石。

It’s a living fossil of embroidery.

我从六岁就跟妈妈学马尾绣,

I started to learn horsetail embroidery from my mother at the age of six.

用搓好的马尾线，一针一线地绣在底布上，

We use horsetail threads (which are twisted with horsetail hairs and silk threads) to embroider on the base cloth,

绣出来就像浮雕的感觉。

so that we can create an emboss effect.

30多年前，就开始尽我最大的能力，一点一点的这样子，收集一些老绣片，

More than 30 years ago, I started collecting old embroidery patches.

这一做就是30多年了。

Since then, I’ve been trying my best to amass my collection.

2010年，我创办了这个民族民间产品展馆，

I established this exhibition center of ethnic and folk products in 2010.

一直免费对外开放。

It’s always open to the public for free.

我带着马尾绣去参加了世博会，

My horsetail embroidery works were exhibited at the EXPO 2010.

还有去过马德里，去过英国，去过尼泊尔，还有香港、台湾、澳门这几个地方，

They have also been exhibited in Madrid, the United Kingdom, Nepal, as well as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau.

之后，了解马尾绣的人就越来越多了。

After those exhibitions, more and more people got to know horsetail embroidery.

2012年，当时国家支持我们创业，

As the government encouraged us to start up our own business,

所以那年就建了这个公司，然后就有了自己的品牌。

I founded a company in 2012, and then developed my own brand.

现在也有自己的研发和设计团队，通过线上和线下来销售。

Now I have a R&D team, and sell my products both online and offline.

现在不是说文化自信嘛，

We’re always talking about cultural confidence now.

我们传承千年的马尾绣就是我们水族的根和魂，

I think horsetail embroidery, which has a history of 1,000 years, represents the root and soul of our Shui people.

就是我们的自信。

It’s our cultural confidence.

所以我觉得我们通过我们的设计，然后来达到推广我们的民族文化、传承我们的技艺。

So I believe that we can promote our ethnic culture and pass down our art and skills through the products we design.

同时还有给绣娘增加收入，不用出门，

At the same time, we can help female embroiders increase their income.

在家带孩子照看老人，还能挣钱。

They can take care of children and the elderly, and make money at home.

现在我最幸福的事情就是马尾绣有了新家了，

Now, the happiest thing to me is the revitalization of horsetail embroidery.

现在马尾绣那些文创产品也能走出去了，特别开心。

I’m very pleased that the cultural and creative products of horsetail embroidery get into the market.

我希望我们的水族越来越好，

I hope that the lives of our Shui people can get better and better.

我希望我们56个民族像石榴籽一样紧紧地团结在一起。

I also hope that our 56 ethnic groups can stick together like the seeds in a pomegranate,

希望大家的生活越来越好。

and that everyone can have a better life.

[ Editor: SRQ ]