Known as the ‘Land of National Tie Dyeing’, Zhoucheng village has been creating expressive tie-die art for over a thousand years. Zhoucheng village is located in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture. The population of the Bai nationality is approximately 185,800 who are very skilled in the craft of Chinese tie-dyeing.

Bai Tie-dying is distinguishable by its printed flower patterns that are achieved by restricting the dye from reaching certain areas of the cloth. The process of tie-dying is separated into two different procedures, tie and dying. Tie involves forming the cloth material into different shapes through pinching, creasing and folding in accordance to the desired flower pattern. The cloth shapes are then tied or sewn together to create an outlined series of knots. The knots retain the original colour of the cloth while the remaindering material is printed another colour during the dyeing process. The knots must be tight enough to keep the liquid from dying the pattern inside.

The second stage in Bai tie dyeing is dyeing the knotted cloth. It is first soaked in clear water and placed in the dye vat for a long period of time. The cloth is then dried before being placed back into the dye vat. These steps are repeated until the desired colour is reached. After it has been dried for the final time, the knots are undone to reveal the vivid flower patterns. White and blue are the dominant colours used in Bai tie.

Known as the ‘Land of National Tie Dyeing’, Zhoucheng village has been creating expressive tie-die art for over a thousand years. Zhoucheng village is located in the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture. The population of the Bai nationality is approximately 185,800 who are very skilled in the craft of Chinese tie-dyeing.

Bai Tie-dying is distinguishable by its printed flower patterns that are achieved by restricting the dye from reaching certain areas of the cloth. The process of tie-dying is separated into two different procedures, tie and dying. Tie involves forming the cloth material into different shapes through pinching, creasing and folding in accordance to the desired flower pattern. The cloth shapes are then tied or sewn together to create an outlined series of knots. The knots retain the original colour of the cloth while the remaindering material is printed another colour during the dyeing process. The knots must be tight enough to keep the liquid from dying the pattern inside.

The second stage in Bai tie dyeing is dyeing the knotted cloth. It is first soaked in clear water and placed in the dye vat for a long period of time. The cloth is then dried before being placed back into the dye vat. These steps are repeated until the desired colour is reached. After it has been dried for the final time, the knots are undone to reveal the vivid flower patterns.

White and blue are the dominant colours used in Bai tie dying. White flowers are complemented by a blue background to demonstrate elegance through simplicity. The main ingredients of the dye come from the isatis root and indigo which is known to be sensitive to all skin types and resistant to fading.

Most Bai Tie dyed cloths are rectangular or square. Tablecloths, handkerchiefs, door hanging and clothes are common garments featuring tie-dyed art.

Tie Dying has a flourishing history of over one thousand years. In ancient times the Bai people would all practice the art of tie dying within their homes. In later centuries, home-based workshops were created creating a rich industry within the town.

The time honoured handicraft of the Bai people is classed one of the honoured Chinese traditional handicrafts which need to be protected and preserved for the future. The imaginative and spontaneous designs created from Bai tie dyeing have influenced many garment printing processes in China and around the world.