A local workshop demonstrates how the Atlas silk is made in the traditional way in Hotan prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

As a traditional handicraft of the Uygur people in Xinjiang, the making of Atlas silk has a long history of more than 1,000 years. It was listed as the national intangible cultural heritage in 2008 and was called "the last silk making handicraft in the 21st century" and "a living fossil along the Silk Road".

Atlas is a traditional type of Xinjiang silk that means "graceful" in Uyghur language. Known for its softness, lightness, and bright colored patterns, it is made through a complicated process and is extremely popular among Uygur women in Xinjiang.