Greetings, dear reader, and best wishes for the Year of the Snake! I appreciate how the Chinese New Year follows closely after Christmas, as it helps to alleviate the January blues. While my physical self may not fully align with the lunar calendar's notion of spring's arrival, my spirit is eager for the festivities, and I hope yours is as well. Adorn your entrance with beautiful New Year couplets, savor dumplings, enjoy the festive television gala, travel... There are numerous traditions and delights to indulge in during this joyful season, but why not carry the essence of the snake with you throughout the year?
If you're embracing the snake spirit, allow me to introduce you to some jewelry from Hainan. Nicki Johnson, a U.S. citizen and entrepreneur, relocated to this stunning southern island in 2005. Since then, she has established a small business offering language services and a shop featuring jewelry and art items. Her story is rich and intricate, but it's best to hear it straight from Nicki herself, as she truly makes her time in China meaningful.
Hello, Nicki! It's delightful to explore beyond Beijing and learn more about you! Please share the beginnings of your journey in China. Hello, I'm thrilled to be featured here! My first trip to China was in 1999, and a few years later, in 2005, I moved here with my husband, Erik. Part of my entrepreneurial journey involves running a small company that specializes in language services like translation, proofreading, and writing. Additionally, I express my creativity through a small shop called Island Delights, a name that feels fitting when I think of Hainan. My goal is to share the joy of life on this tropical island with everyone!
Island Delights has a singular mission: to raise awareness and appreciation for handmade art native to Hainan. Our collections showcase works by local artists, providing them with income and exposure while also allowing everyone the opportunity to own beautiful, unique items and accessories. We prioritize sustainability, ensuring all our products are made from eco-friendly materials, while also valuing China's intangible cultural heritage and traditional culture.
For instance, my hand-painted jewelry features locally sourced coconut shells as the primary material. We also showcase paper cuttings created by a local Deaf artist, along with handwoven Li brocades crafted by the Li people of Hainan. These brocades are made from entirely local, sustainable materials. The threads are spun by hand from natural fibers, and the dyes are derived from roots, berries, and leaves, culminating in a magnificent artwork that intertwines the legends, histories, and culture of the Li people.
What originally captivated me about Li brocades were the patterns – each one tells a story or conveys a deeper meaning, such as the Deer Looking Back, linked to an ancient Li love tale, or the frog, symbolizing fertility due to the large number of tadpoles each female frog nurtures! As the Li people lacked a written language, they employed these symbols to transmit their culture, legends, and history through generations. As a literature enthusiast and art aficionado, I quickly fell in love with this distinctive form of communication!
This certainly sounds intriguing. I’d love to hear about how you connect and collaborate with local artists for these unique pieces. How do you source them, and is there anything notable about your communication with the artists? Through my long-term role as the editor of Explore Hainan, the official English language tourism website for Hainan Province, along with my collaborations with various local media platforms, I've had the opportunity to visit many Li and Miao villages deep within the rainforest, high in the mountains, and far from urban areas. I've met numerous fascinating individuals and have even attempted traditional practices like wood drilling for fire, spinning thread on a wooden spindle, and weaving Li brocade on a foot loom.
This journey has enabled me to inquire about the meanings behind different Li brocade symbols I find painted on village walls, carved into wooden beams, and woven into textiles. It has also provided me a chance to connect with artisans still dedicated to their traditional crafts, helping bring their exquisite creations from the villages into urban settings. This allows more people to experience their work while providing the artisans a better marketplace for their items. Often, they feel discouraged by their meager sales and undervalue their craft, contemplating giving up. But when they find out their handmade pieces appeal to international visitors, who are eager to buy them as gifts for family and friends worldwide, they gain encouragement! That's exactly my aim – to give these artisans a broader audience, improved income, and the recognition they deserve!
Great! Notably, your shop also features some of your creations, including the latest Chinese New Year series centered around the snake. Please tell us about these! Absolutely! First, I'd like to share a bit of information. A significant source of inspiration for me is the Li ethnic group, also referred to as Lizu or Hlai, one of the
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