A cooperative in Khamshong township in Xigaze, Tibet autonomous region, has helped preserve the traditional craftsmanship of wool making and in the meantime offered new hope for Tibetans to shake off poverty. LIU XIANGRUI/CHINA DAILY

Traditional crafts have become an important tool for local residents of the Tibet autonomous region as they work on poverty alleviation.

In Rinbung county's Khamshong township, for example, a cooperative has created an annual income exceeding 1 million yuan ($145,000) for the villages nearby by producing woolens.

The Yadexihe fabric has a 1,200-year history and comes from sheep living in altitudes higher than 4,500 meters.

The county is located in Xigaze, a city that is 250 kilometers to the west of Lhasa.

Once the wool is produced, it is cleaned, made fluffy and colored with natural dyes.

"The finished fabric is soft, warm, colorfast and without ruffles," says 31-year-old Namdrol, who started the cooperative in 2013.