“Experiencing the Charm of Tie-Dye, Promoting Traditional Culture”——A Report on the Academy of Marxism’s International Women’s Day Themed Event

To implement the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s directive on the “Two Integrations”[1]1 The Two Integrations (两个结合) refers to the principle of integrating the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of fine traditional Chinese culture. and to further strengthen our institute’s staff understanding of and confidence in fine traditional Chinese culture, with the approval of the Party Committee of the Academy of Marxism, on the afternoon of March 6, 2024, our institute’s trade union and Women’s Work Committee organized an International Women’s Day event themed “Experiencing the Charm of Tie-Dye, Promoting Traditional Culture.” Teachers from the Beijing Central Academy of Fine Arts Qingteng Art Workshop were invited to lecture on the history of traditional Chinese tie-dye techniques and to teach our institute’s female staff, on site, how to make fabric tie-dye works by hand, so that all could together appreciate and promote the charm of traditional Chinese craftsmanship, strengthen cultural confidence, and contribute women’s strength to better passing on fine traditional Chinese culture. More than thirty female staff members from the entire institute participated; Lin Jianhua, Vice President of the Academy of Marxism, attended the event on behalf of the institute’s Party Committee and delivered a speech.

为贯彻落实习近平总书记关于“两个结合”的指示精神，进一步增强我院职工对中华优秀传统文化的理解与自信，经马研院党委同意，2024年3月6日下午，我院工会、妇工委组织了主题为“感受扎染魅力 弘扬传统文化”的“三八”国际妇女节活动。邀请北京央美青藤艺术工坊老师讲授中国传统扎染技术历史，并现场教授我院女职工DIY制作布艺扎染作品，共同领略并弘扬中国传统工艺魅力，坚定文化自信，为更好地传承中华优秀传统文化,贡献巾帼力量。全院30余位女职工参加，马研院副院长林建华代表院党委出席活动并致辞。

Group photo at the event site

活动现场大合影

Lin Jianhua pointed out that the Academy of Marxism is a research unit where female staff constitute the majority; among the institute’s entire staff, women account for 70%. Under the leadership and strong support of the Party Committee of the Academy of Marxism, our institute’s female staff have fully implemented Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and have made tremendous contributions in theoretical innovation, scientific research breakthroughs, policy advice, and personnel training. Their hard work and selfless dedication have ensured the smooth completion and outstanding achievements of all work at the Academy of Marxism. On behalf of the Party Committee of the Academy of Marxism, he expressed gratitude to the female comrades who work diligently on the front lines of research, management, and editorial positions, and extended festive greetings and best wishes. At the same time, he fully affirmed the important significance of this event in enriching the cultural and spiritual life of female staff, inheriting and developing tie-dye techniques, and promoting fine traditional Chinese culture. Finally, he wished the event a complete success.

林建华指出，马研院是以女职工为主体的科研单位，在全院职工中，女性占70%。在马研院党委的领导与大力支持下，我院女职工全面贯彻落实习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，在理论创新、科研攻坚、建言献策、人才培养中作出了巨大的贡献，大家的辛苦付出、无私奉献，确保了马研院各项工作的顺利完成并取得佳绩。他谨代表马研院党委对辛勤奋战在科研与管理、编辑岗位的女同胞们表示感谢，并致以节日的问候和祝福。同时，充分肯定本次活动对丰富女职工的精神文化生活、传承和发展扎染技艺、弘扬中华优秀传统文化的重要意义。最后，预祝本次活动圆满成功。

Lin Jianhua, Vice President of the Academy of Marxism, attended the event and delivered a speech

马研院副院长林建华出席活动并致辞

Entering the world of tie-dye, understanding intangible cultural heritage. Every plant and tree has been dyed for a thousand years; a square of plain cloth, a patch of blue. Tie-dye is a traditional and unique printing and dyeing craft of China, one of our country’s precious intangible cultural heritages. Its process, from tying to dyeing, is rich in creativity and has been passed down for a thousand years. At the event site, the art workshop teacher explained in detail the creative history, production principles, craft characteristics, as well as the theoretical knowledge of tie-dye fabrics, dyes, basic steps, classifications and common techniques, and tool usage, helping everyone gain an in-depth understanding of the basics of traditional Chinese tie-dye. In the hands-on session, the teacher prepared tie-dye materials in advance and personally demonstrated the tying and dyeing steps, especially providing on-site demonstrations of how to position, fold, bundle, twist, and use other creative shapes, offering methodological guidance for everyone to better experience the tie-dye technique.

走进扎染世界，了解非遗文化。一草一木千年染，一方素布一抹蓝。扎染，是我国传统而独特的印染工艺，是我国宝贵的非物质文化遗产之一，其工艺从扎到染都具有丰富的创造性，传承至今，已延续千年。活动现场，艺术工坊老师详细讲解了扎染技艺的创作历史、制作原理、工艺特点以及扎染的面料、染料、基本步骤、分类与常用技法、工具用法等理论知识，帮助大家深入了解中国传统扎染的基本知识。在实际操作环节，老师提前为大家准备了扎染材料，并亲自演示扎结和染色环节，尤其是对如何定位、折叠、捆扎、扭曲等多种创意造型进行了现场展示，为大家更好的体验扎染技艺提供方法上的指导。

The art workshop teacher lecturing on the history of traditional Chinese tie-dye techniques

艺术工坊老师在讲述中国传统扎染技术历史

Skillful hands create brocade tie-dye; cloth is dyed in mottled colors. The female staff members, guided by their own creative ideas and using the tools and materials at hand, devoted themselves fully to their respective creations. As time passed, colors blossomed on the cloth; the unfolding of each cloth doll was like opening a blind box, always bringing unexpected surprises. After an hour, one-of-a-kind tie-dye works appeared before everyone’s eyes. These ordinary plain white cloth dolls were given vivid and lively life by pairs of skillful hands, transforming into uniquely patterned cloth dolls. Amid the mottled patterns, everyone felt a strong sense of accomplishment with their own works, showing and admiring each other’s pieces, enjoying the fun of DIY in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. The scene was lively and warm. Finally, everyone held their works for a group photo, freezing this moment of surprise and beauty. Encountering the tie-dye technique on this special holiday, the female staff not only unlocked the skill of tie-dye and deeply felt the beauty of intangible cultural heritage, but also personally experienced the infinite charm of traditional Chinese culture, spending a “Women’s Day” full of traditional cultural flavor.

巧手扎锦绣，布里染斑斓。女职工们以自己的创意想法，结合手中的工具、材料全神贯注的投入到各自的创作中，在时间的流逝中，色彩在布里生花，每一个布偶的展开，都像一次拆盲盒的经历，永远有不期而遇的惊喜。历经一个小时后，一件件独一无二的扎染作品呈现在大家眼前。这些普通的纯白布偶被一双双巧手赋予鲜活而灵动的生命，摇身一变成为一个个各具特色的印花布偶。斑驳之间，大家对自己的作品成就感十足，相互展示、欣赏，在轻松愉悦的氛围中享受着DIY所带来的乐趣，现场氛围热闹而温馨，最后大家手捧作品合影留念，定格这一刻的惊喜与美好。在这个专属的节日里与扎染技艺邂逅，女职工们不仅纷纷解锁扎染技艺，深刻感受到非遗之美，更切身感受到中华传统文化的无穷魅力，度过了一个充满传统文化韵味的“妇女节”。

Tie-dye activity scene

扎染活动现场

Through this event, the female staff of our institute unanimously agreed that, at a time when we are deeply studying and comprehending Xi Jinping Thought on Culture and thoroughly implementing the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, the institute’s trade union and Women’s Work Committee organized this themed event at just the right moment, with extraordinary significance. Everyone expressed that, as staff of the Academy of Marxism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, we must continue to deeply study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, and contribute women’s wisdom and women’s strength to passing on and promoting fine traditional Chinese culture and building the modern civilization of the Chinese nation.

通过本次活动，我院女职工一致认为，在深入学习领会习近平文化思想、深入贯彻落实党的二十大精神之际，院工会、妇工委组织此次主题活动，恰逢其时、意义非凡。大家表示，作为中国社科院马研院的职工，我们要继续深入学习贯彻习近平文化思想，为传承和弘扬中华优秀传统文化、建设中华民族现代文明贡献巾帼智慧和巾帼力量。

(Contributed by: Shangguan Miaomiao / Photography: Wang Yi)

（供稿：上官苗苗 /摄影：王屹）