For Man Wenxi, 20, a student at South China University of Technology in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, learning nyushu became a journey of discovering other women's experiences as well as her own identity.

"Women's souls across generations and identities are converging, growing into a shared spiritual space where we can express ourselves freely," Man says.

"It's in this space that my design work comes to life."

Wang reflected on how nyushu inheritors weave vibrant threads into bands and garments that enrich their daily lives, threading in the joys, sorrows, passions and hopes of life.

"We honor their wishes, once whispered, with art that breathes in the present, alive in its making," she says.

Sang Yihan and Gao Yuxi contributed to this story.