Threads of the Yi

During my photography journey in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan—the largest Yi ethnic settlement in China—I was deeply touched by the sincerity and resilience of the Yi people. One afternoon, while photographing a little girl, she began picking wild red raspberries by the roadside and offered them to me with laughter. That small moment of generosity—simple, spontaneous, and pure—captured the warmth and humanity I hoped to express through my camera.
Through my lens, I sought to portray not only the Yi people’s vivid traditional clothing but also the spirit woven within it. Their embroidered fabrics and silver ornaments shimmer with meaning—red and yellow for vitality, silver for blessings and protection. Amid rapid modernization, they preserve their identity with quiet pride, reminding me that culture is not displayed but lived.