Njengefa lesizwe elingaphatheki lamasiko, ukufekethiswa kwezinwele ze-Dongtai kulandelela izimpande zako ku-Southern Song Dynasty, kuthwala ifa leminyaka engu-800. Eklanywe ngezinwele ezinemibala yemvelo yabesifazane abasebasha, ivela njengengcebo yobuciko egcwele "izimpawu zokuphila."

Isebenzisa izinwele njengentambo nezinaliti njengamabhulashi, iziqhayisa ngezindlela ezingaphezu kuka-30 zokuthunga eziguquguqukayo—njengokuthi "ukufekethiswa kukayinki" kanye "nokufekethiswa kwethoni" -okuhambisana nokuqina okungapheli kwezinwele: ukumelana nokubola nokubuna. Imisebenzi yayo ihlanganisa ubuhle be-rustic nomusa onamandla, iveza ubuhle baseMpumalanga "bobuncane, ukukhanya, ukukhanya, ukujula, nobuqili" ngokunemba kwemithungo ehlanzekile, ecolekileyo, neminyene.

Njengoba ihlonishwa “njengomsebenzi wobuciko ngaphansi kwezulu” futhi ibhalwe ohlwini lwamagugu esizwe angaphatheki, lobu buciko be-Dongtai beluka amagugu amasiko bube ubuciko obuhle obunekhono elicophelelayo, bugcina umoya wobuciko uphila kuzo zonke izinhlobo zezinwele—ingcebo yesiko elakhiwe ngomunwe.