Preservation and Development of Plant Based Dyeing in Dong Ethnic Costumes

Abstract

Dong plant-dyeing techniques for traditional dress constitute a key component of the textile and dyeing heritage of China’s ethnic minorities, embedding ecological knowledge and cultural value. However, industrialization, and social change have reduced raw-material availability, accelerated the inheritor loss, and weakened public recognition. This study examines the evolution, technical features, and cultural meanings of Dong cloth craftsmanship and identifies current constraints on transmission and sustainable development. Drawing on literature analysis and multi-sited fieldwork, interviews, participant observation, and process documentation were conducted in Guizhou and Guangxi. Comparative analysis focused on production procedures, transmission practices, and contemporary application contexts. The results indicate that Dong plant dyeing is not a single dyeing action but a sequence of tightly linked steps—vat preparation and management, repeated immersion and oxidation, localized shade adjustment and re-dyeing, drying, beating, and sizing—together forming an integrated dyeing–finishing system. This system co-produces color depth, luster, stiffness, and durability, and carries irreplaceable artisanal and identity-related meanings. Nevertheless, the transmission system remains fragile due to limited educational support, insufficiently articulated technical knowledge, and weak market mechanisms. Accordingly, coordinated measures are proposed: protecting dye plants and related ecological resources; strengthening community-based education and learning networks; developing a “parameter–performance” evidence chain with gentle standardization for teaching and quality assessment; building community-led culture–tourism collaboration; and enhancing policy support and international exchange.