Yi embroidery pattern display
Selected by the Ministry of Education in 2023 as the second in a series of digital non-genetic inheritance and protection activities of the ‘respect for traditional Chinese culture’, the ‘Youth’ team from the School of Computer and Software of Southwest Petroleum University went to Sichuan Province with the theme of national intangible cultural heritage - Yi embroidery. With the theme of national intangible cultural heritage - Yi embroidery, the practice team from the School of Computer and Software of Southwest University of Petroleum went to the Ganluo County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province to carry out a project. Ganluo County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, to carry out the ‘three to the countryside’ summer social practice activities.
‘Yi embroidery has been passed down through the generations, evolved a variety of techniques such as disc embroidery, lockstitch embroidery, rich patterns, strong colours are the embodiment of the characteristics of the Yi ethnic group; young people like you are very welcome to come to Ganluo, with a variety of new technologies to let more people feel its charm.’ Asiwu Zhimo, a national-level non-genetic heredity bearer, said enthusiastically when he exchanged views with the members of the practice group.
AI-enabled: ChatYX teaches you how to embroider one stitch at a time
Practice team members visit the process
‘Inheritors such as Asi Ama (Asi Wu Zhimo) are proficient in Yi embroidery, but they don't understand much Chinese.’ In the process of visiting the people related to Yi embroidery culture industry, the practice team found that Yi embroidery has a long history, strong professionalism, and the Yi language and Chinese language do not communicate with each other, so the traditional introduction is time-consuming and laborious; ‘Why can't we create a “digital inheritor”’, members of the team thought of the AI big model technology, which is the most effective way to create the Yi embroidery culture. AI big model technology, take up the ‘promoter’ and ‘interpreter’ of the important task.
By collecting, arranging and training nearly 200,000 words of Yi embroidery related information, the practice team members created a real-time dialogue platform - ChatYX for local reception and promotion, so that visitors with no basic knowledge can also understand Yi embroidery systematically.
In the activity site of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage on Campus - Yi Embroidery Special Session’, a college student independently ‘designed and drew’ the pattern of his choice under the interesting guidance and interaction of ChatYX, and the surprise and sense of achievement were beyond words. The surprise and sense of achievement was hard to express. It was a ‘magical experience’.
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Online Exhibition: Digital Museum Records Real Colours
The practice team relied on WeChat applet to build an online digital museum, and eventually put on line 6 sets of representative Yi costumes and 31 pieces of accessories. ‘Beautiful clothes’ and ‘exquisite patterns’ were the most commented comments on the Yi Embroidery Digital Museum at the activity site.
‘Look, this is the Yi embroidery costume worn by our Yi women when they get married, that one is for the middle-aged and the other one is for the children, so we can really feel the charm of Yi embroidery when we look at it from a close distance.’ Members of the practice team suddenly thought of using 3D modelling technology to break the space limitations and present Yi embroidery on the line in front of people's eyes.
‘Yi Embroidery Chronicle’ Theme Story Exhibition
Under the guidance of professional craftsmen, the practice team selected representative costumes and characteristic patterns of different genders of different age groups, and took thousands of photos from multiple angles, which laid a solid foundation for 3D modelling.
3D modelling of Yi embroidery
The practice team released a series of nearly ten short videos of ‘Youth “Non” Young “Yi” Embroidery’, with a play count of more than 100,000; the related microblog reports have been forwarded by Sichuan Communist Youth League and Chengdu Communist Youth League, and the read count has The related microblog reports have been forwarded by Sichuan Communist Youth League and Chengdu Communist Youth League, and the readership has exceeded 100,000
In the future, the School of Computer and Software of Southwest Petroleum University will continue to carry out the series of projects of ‘Digital Technology Helps Protect Non-Genetic Inheritance’, which is a perfect collision of traditional culture and modern technology, and contributes to the construction of a strong cultural country. (Text: Xu Jiaxun, Zhang Nan, Liu Chang; Photo: Luo Ruilin, Shi Jiabin)