Abstract: To varying degrees, folk beliefs of the Yi people can be reflected by the styles, ornaments, colors and decorative patterns of their traditional costumes, which are regarded as living fossils of their ethnic characteristics. In our practice to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping, preservation and inheritance of the traditional Yi costumes are of great pragmatic significance. To preserve and inherit the Yi costume, the following measures should be taken: 1) taking greater efforts to cultivate inheritors of Yi embroidery as a form of intangible cultural heritage; 2) promoting government-enterprise cooperation to use embroidery projects as poverty relief programs; 3) adopting sustainable development approach by launching market operation of the Yi embroidery industry; and 4) encouraging participation of all parties concerned to collect and protect outstanding Yi embroidery works.

Key words: Chuxiong, Yi costume, preservation, inheritance, inheritor