Journey to Khawachen, Lhasa’s last handmade rug works
By Zhang Yiqian, Published: 2016-07-11 17:06:40
Two women weave a carpet together.
Editor's Note:
Khawachen is situated far from the center of Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region. The entrance is barely noticeable from the street. But when you walk in, you see rows of washed carpets drying in the courtyard. In the neighboring room, workers sit at looms weaving wool threads. This handmade Tibetan rug works was founded by Kesang Tashi, a Tibetan-American and a Dartmouth-educated international banker. In 1986, when visiting his homeland, he came upon traditional Tibetan rug makers and became fascinated with the craft. Photos: Li Hao/GT

Two women weave colored threads into patterns.
A woman weaves while another checks the threads.
A woman rolls thread into balls.
A woman stores balled thread.
Wang Zeqiang displays one of the rugs.
A man designs carpet patterns.
In recent years, craftsmen have been producing patterns suited to modern tastes.
Two men wash a rug using shovels.
Two men use shovels to wash a carpet.
Two men roll up a freshly washed carpet. After being woven, the carpets go through a cleaning process. Because they are hand-woven, the carpets are stronger and can endure multiple stretches and washes.
A man cuts off the extra hanging threads from a newly-woven carpet.
A woman weaves a carpet.
Craftsmen usually use several tools to make a carpet.
An old woman makes thread. She is one of the few who still knows this skill.
A woman carves a woven carpet to give it a more textured surface.
A man cuts off the loose threads from carpets.