![Click to view slideshow Click to view slideshow](/images/galleries/2014/china-from-the-land/images/from_the_land_6.jpg)
![Pages from the notebook of Yang Wengbin, who documents and practices Miao botanic dyeing techniques, Kaili, Guizhou Province, 2014. Photo by Josh Eli Cogan, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution](/images/galleries/2014/china-from-the-land/images/from_the_land_6.jpg)
![Guizhou Province, 2014. Photo by Josh Eli Cogan, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution](/images/galleries/2014/china-from-the-land/images/from_the_land_1.jpg)
![Yanchuan County, Shaanxi Province, 2014. Photo by Josh Eli Cogan, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution](/images/galleries/2014/china-from-the-land/images/from_the_land_2.jpg)
![Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, 2009. Photo by and courtesy of Joan Hua](/images/galleries/2014/china-from-the-land/images/from_the_land_3.jpg)
![Detail from a Miao embroidered textile, Beijing, 2014. Photo by Josh Eli Cogan, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution](/images/galleries/2014/china-from-the-land/images/from_the_land_4.jpg)
![Detail from hand-dyed batik flags used by the Miao people to call the spirit of the ancestors, Kaili, Guizhou Province, 2014. Photo by Josh Eli Cogan, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution](/images/galleries/2014/china-from-the-land/images/from_the_land_5.jpg)
![Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. Photo by and courtesy of Zhang Tao](/images/galleries/2014/china-from-the-land/images/from_the_land_7.jpg)
Communities continue traditions that draw sustenance from the land. Pottery and porcelain come from earthen clay, which craftspeople combine with water to create objects that are beautiful and useful. Weavers, dyers, and embroiderers use fibers and other materials derived from plants and animals. Potters and textile artists often base their designs on patterns and processes related to the local landscape. At the same time, many craftspeople are adapting their designs and techniques to meet changing tastes and to reflect new influences. In this way, they are reshaping the communities and landscapes that nurture their art.
Potters and textile artists are among the traditional culture bearers whose practices have been influenced in recent years by China’s strategies for safeguarding cultural heritage. Among these is “productivity-based protection,” which seeks to preserve traditional arts by commercializing them. This approach has generated debate. While it provides traditional artists with a livelihood, it can also change the materials and community-based meanings of their work.