Li nationality is the oldest nationality in the South China Sea and the land of ancient Yue. According to the investigation, it belongs to the descendants of the "Baiyue" adherents and is also the earliest resident of Hainan Island. Li people mainly live in seven counties and two cities in south-central Hainan, such as Qiongzhong, Baisha, Changjiang, Dongfang, Ledong, Lingshui, Baoting, Tongshi and Sanya, with mountainous terrain. Mainly scattered in Wanning, Tunchang, Qionghai, Chengmai, Danxian, Ding 'an and other areas, mainly plain terrain. The geographical environment in which they live is quite special. According to the different living customs such as language, costumes and tattoos, the Li people are divided into five dialects: Ha, Qi, Run, Sai and Mobil. According to their understanding of Li culture, Li language with its dialect branch characteristics was derived. Common themes are divided into natural patterns, figures, animals, reptiles, plants, daily utensils and so on. Li Jin is a portrayal of Li people's psychology and personality, which can not only reflect the differences in culture and style between Li and other nationalities, but also reflect the cultural characteristics of the internal differences of Li branches.

First, Li Jin's earliest historical records and skill inheritance

The historical records about Li Jin should be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty at the earliest. The Biography of Nan Man Southwest Yi records: "When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty came, the prefect wanted to pay tribute to Sun Xing." As a tribute, Li Jin was given to the dignitaries at that time, and its preciousness can be imagined. Later, Fan Chengda, a poet in the Song Dynasty, also said in "Returning to Zhi Heng": "It was made by Li people in Hainan."

Li nationality, like most ethnic minorities, has only language but no writing, so there is no written record in the process of inheritance. The inheritance of technology is told by the old man to the young, and passed on from mother to daughter. The formation of Li Jin's patterns is mainly the refinement of natural objects and utensils in real life, forming a simple, concise and orderly pattern modeling. As the main inheritors of skills and embroidery patterns, Li women are also formed in the process of collecting animals and plants.

Second, the reasons for the division of conjecture

Regarding Li Jin's pattern division method, according to the different individual attributes of the pattern, the author classifies it into two categories: one is based on the geographical location of the living area, and the other is based on the main dialect branches:

1. Regional geographical division mode. Inferred from the existing Lijin in Hainan, the topography in the south-central part of Hainan Island is mainly mountainous. Compared with the plain topography of the same period, the weaving and embroidery patterns in Lijin area where Li women live are completely different. Patterns are mostly formed by the deformation of natural scenery such as living environment and geographical conditions. Women in mountainous terrain prefer to use water deer (Hainan deer), birds and other wild animals in the forest. Women in plain areas like to use animals such as fish swimming in the river, shrimp by the stream, frogs in Chi Pan and cranes in the field as embroidery materials. Different regions lead to the differences of embroidery patterns of Li nationality, showing a mixed artistic style. It is also the recovery of a nation's productive forces. The different productivity levels of different branches of the same nation have greatly affected the accumulation of their artistic culture, thus forming the Li culture and brocade patterns.

2. Branches of major dialects are divided into patterns. The languages of the Li nationality are Harbin dialect, Runhua, Saiyan dialect, Qiqi dialect, Mobil dialect and all dialects (except those existing in the five major dialects). The author observed that the same type of pattern is very different in every dialect area and Lijin County.