Jin spent several months this year studying Oroqen culture to design clothes that can attract as many people as possible, she says. She talked to old craftspeople who make boxes, buckets and cases with tree barks, visited local museums and had discussions with scholars.

"The difficulty of designing ethnic costumes lies in trying to find the perfect balance between traditional styles and modern fashionable designs," Jin says.

In recent years, Jin has received many orders to design ethnic costumes for daily use. She says the growing demand is partly because people have more money to spend and partly because their national pride has increased.

However, Jin says some of her customers have complained that they can't find stores to buy suitable clothes, as costumes they have access to are often out of date in regular shops.