Zhijin batik, most delicate batik in the world

Zhijin batik is a batik dyeing technique widely used by the Miao ethnic group in Zhijin, Nayong, Puding, Dafang, and Pingba counties in Southwest China's Guizhou province.

It mainly adopts patterns like fish, birds, and geometric patterns, and takes other flora and fauna patterns as a supplement.

The pattern is extremely fine and the gap between the lines is as thin as hair. Zhijin batik was once called "the most delicate batik in the world" by experts.

The batik technique is more used in cloth and is often associated with embroidery. It is mainly used to decorate tops, skirts, straps, and waistbands, featuring a style that is both plain and elegant.

Zhijin batik uses both paraffin wax and beeswax. There are two general ways to apply the wax. One is to heat a small wax knife on red charcoal, then insert it into a blue wax block. The wax knife will immediately fill up with melted wax and then can be used to paint the fine pattern.

The blue wax block is made from recycled old wax that has been used many times. The indigo has been dissolved in it so that it can be seen clearly when drawing thin lines. The blue color will not stain the cloth after the wax is removed.

The other method is the same as that in other regions. Place a white paraffin wax in a porcelain bowl, melt it over a charcoal fire, and dip the wax knife into the wax.

After the wax is applied, lift the wax knife, hold the knife bar horizontally and shake out the wax drop from the knife head, then flip your wrist, and dip the wax with the other side of the wax knife tip, so that the remaining wax will slow down.

In this method, the remaining wax fluid will flow to the knife tip slowly to avoid dropping a big drop of wax on the cloth. This method is often used to draw thick straight lines.

Zhijin batik often applies embroideries on the batik cloth. The bright red and yellow silk threads are embroidered into a radial pattern in the circle that is specially set aside, which is proportional to the blue swirling curve, reflecting a magnificent and magical universe.

A photo of Zhijin batik. [Photo/gog.cn]