Huangzhong Appliqué Thangka

Huangzhong appliqué is one of the "three wonders" of Kumbum Monastery, practised around Huangzhong District of Xining in Qinghai, in towns such as Tianjiazhai and Duoba, and its technique is said to reach back to the Tang dynasty and Princess Wencheng's journey to Tibet. It entered the second national ICH list in 2008 under traditional arts and is an important part of the "Qing embroidery" family.

Using silks and satins, artisans cut the pieces to a pattern, fill them with wool or cotton for relief, then layer, paste and embroider them onto a backing to make three-dimensional images of buddhas, flowers and figures. The craft spans cutting, filling, layering, pasting and stitching, prizing clear depth and vivid relief, and is called "art on the fingertips."

Huangzhong appliqué carries the feeling and ingenuity of Qinghai's peoples, a singular fruit of Tibetan Buddhist art joined with Chinese silk craft, and holds real value for the study of cultural exchange and religious art on the high plateau.

Appliqué works can be seen in the halls and chapels of Kumbum Monastery.