Cyprus traditional hand embroidered process face lost

Lefkara village is located about 50 kilometers south of Nicosia, capital of Cyprus, where a lot of tourists from around the world every day reception. The visitors to Lefkara not only to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery, would like to to buy here Shouxiu crafts.

Tourists from the Netherlands encountered an interview recently in Lefkara Mandy. She told reporters that this is her second time to Lefkara. She likes the environment and food, especially where hand embroidery crafts.

Embroidered Lefkara generations handed down a trade was originally the local women Shouxiu to the owner-occupied, and later is embroidered handicrafts to sell to Europe. Now the Lefkara Shouxiu crafts have been famous at home and abroad, the village has thus become a well-known tourist attractions in Cyprus.

Accordance with local tradition, the mother in the daughters of a child is necessary to teach them learning Shouxiu, so in the past almost village women will Shouxiu. Lefkara can still see a lot of women, especially older women at their doorstep do Shouxiu crafts, but this landscape may no longer exist in the near future, because today's girls have opponents embroidered not interested .

Maria high school students, and she has two sisters, but they who have not embroidered. Said Maria, and embroidered difficult, and it takes a lot of time, she did not have time to learn and not interested in learning Shouxiu.

Ta Sula from age 12 to start learning Shouxiu, and later opened a store to sell produce their own embroidered crafts. Ta Sula has a daughter, doing accounting work, she said her daughter learned Shouxiu but just personal hobby, but also because of the busy work, his daughter also do not have time to do hand embroidery.

Ta Sula that, although many young women now busy studying and working, but this traditional hand embroidery craft will not disappear. She said the government and local residents are trying to protect this traditional process, this process has become an industry attract tourists, and therefore will be handed down.

Luwei Si an operating Lefkara the largest Shouxiu craft shops, the 1970s this store opened, According to Lu Weisi said, this is the first Lefkara shops selling embroidered crafts.

Hand embroidery crafts store now has more than 60, but the Luwei Si is not optimistic for the future of the Lefkara Shouxiu process.

Lu Weisi worry embroidered this traditional craft is going to disappear, because the young girl had been with them on the life of a generation is completely different, they have received a good education, high-paying career while doing a hand embroidery crafts only earn a few hundred euros to spend two or three months time, young people do not like such things dry.

Nevertheless, Lu Weisi or embroidered craft to teach to my daughter Elena. Elena is 12 years old this year, she said last year learning hand embroidery, with great interest.

In order to protect this traditional craft, Lefkara local governments to do the hand embroidery classes free of charge starting in 2010, to hire teachers lecture to the local girls, to teach them to do hand embroidery.

The local officials Sidi La, said to reporters, the government last year to do the four classes, each lasting more than 10 girls participated. This year has been to do the three classes, the The do classes aim is to embroidered traditional craft passed along.

Lefkara Folk Museum, from April to October each year tourist season will do folk exhibition, local hand embroidery crafts and silverware on display through the exhibition, visitors can understand the local folk culture.