While most Kazakh people in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have bid farewell to their past nomadic life, Hatima Ainaidou persists in keeping their ethnic memory alive through a handicraft she inherited from her family.

Hatima, a Kazakh woman in her late 40s and a municipal-level inheritor of Kazakh embroidery, runs a company in Urumqi County, Xinjiang. She has been dedicated to promoting folk culture for more than 20 years.

"Kazakh embroidery is commonly used in carpets and tapestries found inside Kazakh ethnic yurts and clothing, as well as other ornaments and everyday items," Hatima told CGTN.

"It is an important way for Kazakhs to decorate our lives, express our feelings and inherit our culture, and it has been included in the list of representative items of national intangible cultural heritage," she said. "Kazakh embroidery has a long history of over 2,000 years. In the very beginning, it was embroidered on the fur of certain animals, such as deerskin, to decorate saddles and yurts."

At that time, it was also a vital part of Kazakh marriage rituals, as it was considered one of the most important parts of the dowry.

"There is an old saying in Kazakh culture that it is very difficult for girls to get married if they do not know how to embroider," she said. "Therefore, almost all Kazakh girls used to learn embroidery as soon as they were able to hold needles. And you could see it everywhere in their daily life."

Hatima said she learned embroidery skills from her mother, who had learned them from her own mother – Hatima's grandmother – a famous embroiderer in the region.

"Ever since I can remember, I could always see my mother and two elder sisters sitting on the bed and embroidering scarves, bed covers, blankets, pillows and handkerchiefs. Gradually, I became interested in this traditional skill and later became obsessed with it."

Hatima then devoted herself to refining her skills and promoting the tradition.

To better pass on the skills and help local embroiderers, Hatima started a small handcraft village cooperative company in Shuixigou Village in 2016.

"There are many skillful embroiderers in and around my village, but many of them were jobless. Some have to take care of their family members and stay at home, while others had no access to sell their products," Hatima recalled, adding that the items they made were usually just decorations in their houses.

The embroiderers employed by the company can work from home, taking care of their family members without giving up their jobs. They also don't have to worry about selling their work, as Hatima handles that.

Now, over 20 embroiderers are working at the company, and for many, it is the first job of their lives.

"Many sisters in our company told me that the best part of the job is not only the salary but also the new way of life they have gained, as their skills have been recognized, and they have grown even prouder and more confident."

With rapid economic, technological and social development, people's needs for this kind of culture have also changed. To adapt to new market trends, Hatima tries to innovate while maintaining the traditional features of her craft.

"The bold and unconstrained rhododendron, or goat horn flower, is the most representative pattern in Kazakh embroidery. However, its stitches are relatively thick and not suitable for modern consumers. So now we combine our traditions with techniques from Su embroidery, Shu embroidery and other styles into our current products."

"With the improvement of technology and integration with other embroidery techniques, Kazakh embroidery has become more widely used and has grown in popularity, such as in clothing, shoes, hats, bags and home textiles in our daily life," she said.

Hatima told CGTN that she feels very happy and proud to see Kazakh embroidery gaining increasing popularity and that the neighboring embroiderers employed by her small company are living better lives.