Villagers preserve heritage through handsewn sachets for Dragon Boat Festival in E China

A villager (front) displays the sachet pendants handmade by herself at Xucun Village in Shexian County, Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, June 10, 2026. For generations at Xucun, a village boasting a history of more than 10 centuries, parents and elders have been honoring a tradition of presenting tiger-head shoes and sachet pendants to their young on the occasion of Dragon Boast Festival to express goodwill for vigorous growth and smooth life.

To date, there are still many villagers here hold on to sew these items by hand. Stitch after stitch, they are preserving the cultural essence of the ancient village, trying to make the traditional craftsmanship known to more people. (Photo by Shi Yalei/Xinhua)

A villager displays the sachet pendants handsewn by herself at Xucun Village in Shexian County, Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, June 14, 2026. For generations at Xucun, a village boasting a history of more than 10 centuries, parents and elders have been honoring a tradition of presenting tiger-head shoes and sachet pendants to their young on the occasion of Dragon Boast Festival to express goodwill for vigorous growth and smooth life.

To date, there are still many villagers here hold on to sew these items by hand. Stitch after stitch, they are preserving the cultural essence of the ancient village, trying to make the traditional craftsmanship known to more people. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)

Villagers sew sachet pendants at Xucun Village in Shexian County, Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, June 10, 2026. For generations at Xucun, a village boasting a history of more than 10 centuries, parents and elders have been honoring a tradition of presenting tiger-head shoes and sachet pendants to their young on the occasion of Dragon Boast Festival to express goodwill for vigorous growth and smooth life.

To date, there are still many villagers here hold on to sew these items by hand. Stitch after stitch, they are preserving the cultural essence of the ancient village, trying to make the traditional craftsmanship known to more people. (Photo by Shi Yalei/Xinhua)

A villager sews a sachet pendant at Xucun Village in Shexian County, Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, June 10, 2026. For generations at Xucun, a village boasting a history of more than 10 centuries, parents and elders have been honoring a tradition of presenting tiger-head shoes and sachet pendants to their young on the occasion of Dragon Boast Festival to express goodwill for vigorous growth and smooth life.

To date, there are still many villagers here hold on to sew these items by hand. Stitch after stitch, they are preserving the cultural essence of the ancient village, trying to make the traditional craftsmanship known to more people. (Photo by Shi Yalei/Xinhua)

A young boy holds a hand-sewn tiger-head shoe at Xucun Village in Shexian County, Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, June 11, 2026. For generations at Xucun, a village boasting a history of more than 10 centuries, parents and elders have been honoring a tradition of presenting tiger-head shoes and sachet pendants to their young on the occasion of Dragon Boast Festival to express goodwill for vigorous growth and smooth life.

To date, there are still many villagers here hold on to sew these items by hand. Stitch after stitch, they are preserving the cultural essence of the ancient village, trying to make the traditional craftsmanship known to more people. (Photo by Zheng Hong/Xinhua)

A villager sews a tiger-head shoe at home in Xucun Village of Shexian County, Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, June 11, 2026. For generations at Xucun, a village boasting a history of more than 10 centuries, parents and elders have been honoring a tradition of presenting tiger-head shoes and sachet pendants to their young on the occasion of Dragon Boast Festival to express goodwill for vigorous growth and smooth life.

To date, there are still many villagers here hold on to sew these items by hand. Stitch after stitch, they are preserving the cultural essence of the ancient village, trying to make the traditional craftsmanship known to more people. (Photo by Zheng Hong/Xinhua)

A villager sews a tiger-head shoe at Xucun Village in Shexian County, Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, June 14, 2026. For generations at Xucun, a village boasting a history of more than 10 centuries, parents and elders have been honoring a tradition of presenting tiger-head shoes and sachet pendants to their young on the occasion of Dragon Boast Festival to express goodwill for vigorous growth and smooth life.

To date, there are still many villagers here hold on to sew these items by hand. Stitch after stitch, they are preserving the cultural essence of the ancient village, trying to make the traditional craftsmanship known to more people. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)

A villager displays the sachet pendants handsewn by herself at Xucun Village in Shexian County, Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, June 14, 2026. For generations at Xucun, a village boasting a history of more than 10 centuries, parents and elders have been honoring a tradition of presenting tiger-head shoes and sachet pendants to their young on the occasion of Dragon Boast Festival to express goodwill for vigorous growth and smooth life.

To date, there are still many villagers here hold on to sew these items by hand. Stitch after stitch, they are preserving the cultural essence of the ancient village, trying to make the traditional craftsmanship known to more people. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)

A villager introduces a pair of hand-made tiger-head shoes at home in Xucun Village of Shexian County, Huangshan City, east China's Anhui Province, June 15, 2026. For generations at Xucun, a village boasting a history of more than 10 centuries, parents and elders have been honoring a tradition of presenting tiger-head shoes and sachet pendants to their young on the occasion of Dragon Boast Festival to express goodwill for vigorous growth and smooth life.

To date, there are still many villagers here hold on to sew these items by hand. Stitch after stitch, they are preserving the cultural essence of the ancient village, trying to make the traditional craftsmanship known to more people. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan)