Glorious 60 Years • Our Homeland | Chagza attire weaving heritage into prosperity

Shannan, July 29 (Guangming Online)--On the broad grasslands of Chigu Town, Comai County, Shannan City, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, the rhythmic creaking of traditional looms fills the local heritage workshop. Pulu—a thick, handwoven woolen fabric unique to the Tibetan Plateau—has long been central to Tibetan clothing. In Zhaza Village, located in a high-altitude pastoral area averaging 4,600 meters above sea level, this fabric is transformed into something even more distinctive: the Chagza attire (phonetically transliterated from Tibetan).

Characterized by exposed seams, stiff collars, brightly edged cuffs, and ornaments that jingle with every step, the Chagza attire carries stories as rich as its texture. One legend tells of Princess Wencheng, who, while passing through the Zhaza grasslands, joined locals in celebration and accidentally wore her robe inside out. The villagers, charmed by her appearance, began to imitate the style. Over time, this reversed wearing—where the stitching is intentionally left visible—evolved into a symbolic fashion, turning a “mistake” into a local custom.

To preserve this unique craft, Comai County invested in the establishment of the Chagza Attire Cooperative in 2012, and a dedicated training center—the Chagza Attire Transmission Institute—was officially completed in 2015. Today, it serves as a hub for both cultural preservation and the development of related industries. Sitting in his studio, Ngawang Tendar, recognized in 2018 as a national-level inheritor of this intangible cultural heritage, responded to our questions in Tibetan.

Ngawang Tendar explains that crafting a Chagza garment takes nearly two months and involves more than a dozen meticulous steps: spinning the yarn, weaving, dyeing, and finally stitching the pieces into their signature double-sided patterns.

Government-supported training programs in 2019 and 2024 helped revitalize interest in the craft, with workshops teaching villagers traditional weaving and dyeing techniques. Today, dozens of villagers weave pulu during their spare time, often while tending livestock. A local cooperative purchases the woven fabric at 1,300 to 1,500 yuan per roll, providing a modest but meaningful source of income. However, only three individuals—Ngawang Tendar and his two apprentices—have mastered the advanced stitching skills needed to produce a full set of Chagza attire.

Because every step of the process is done by hand, complete sets of Chagza attire remain rare. Only five to six are produced each year—most of which are collected by museums in Lhasa and Beijing.

Ngawang Tendar helped every visiting reporter don the Chagza attire. I was fortunate to step onto the vast grasslands wrapped in heavy pulu, feeling the dedication and time woven into every thread. This exquisite heritage didn’t stand apart—it welcomed us, strangers from afar, with quiet grace and strength. As Ngawang Tendar said, only when one wears it and feels it with their own skin can the world begin to truly see Chagza.

Photo taken on July 27, 2025, shows the Chagza Attire Transmission Institute in Zhaza Village, Chigu Town, Comai County, Shannan City, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region. (Zhang Andi/Guangming Online)

Photo taken on July 27, 2025, shows Ngawang Tendar being interviewed by Guangming Online reporter. (Zhang Andi/Guangming Online)

Photo taken on July 27, 2025, shows Ngawang Tendar weaving pulu on a loom. (Zhang Andi/Guangming Online)

Photo taken on July 27, 2025, shows Ngawang Tendar weaving pulu on a loom. (Zhang Andi/Guangming Online)

Photo taken on July 27, 2025, shows a resident weaving pulu on a loom. (Zhang Andi/Guangming Online)

Photo taken on July 27, 2025, shows the decorative ornaments of Chagza attire. (Zhang Andi/Guangming Online)

A reporter tries on Chagza attire, July 27, 2025. (Zhang Andi/Guangming Online)

A reporter tries on Chagza attire, July 27, 2025. (Zhang Andi/Guangming Online)