Tujia brocade (xilankapu) is one of the most distinctive textile arts in China, produced on backstrap looms by Tujia women using a technique that creates geometric patterns of extraordinary complexity by working purely from memory without a written pattern. The designs are passed through generations within weaving families; a full-size xilankapu panel takes weeks to produce and contains hundreds of individual pattern elements.
Several workshops in Furong's ancient street sell genuine xilankapu alongside machine-made imitations. The distinction is visible to anyone who looks carefully: handwoven pieces have slight irregularities and a density of interlocking threads that machine production cannot replicate. A small handwoven piece costs ¥200-500; larger panels cost significantly more. The workshop demonstrations are worth watching — the speed and confidence with which an experienced weaver produces complex geometric patterns without any template is remarkable.