Huang Daopo lived in late Song Dynasty (960 - 1279) and early Yuan Dynasty (1206 - 1368) and was from Wunijing of Songjiang. Since she could not bear the maltreatment of her parents-in-law when she was young, she left her hometown and went to Hainan Island, there was abundant cotton, and local Li people had been engaged in the textile industry for a long period. Huang Daopo lived with the Li women, with whom she had established deep friendship. Meanwhile, Huang had learnt a series of techniques of planting as well as cotton spinning and weaving.

Huang Daopo returned to her hometown 30 years later. She taught Songjiang people the textile technique she had learnt in Hainan Island. At the same time she also popularized and improved many textile machines so that the efficiency of labor was greatly increased. She improved on the cotton fluffer and successively invented a tool for cotton-spinning, a pedal spinning wheel with three spindles, which was the most advanced one at that time. Integrating the advanced textile techniques of Li people into traditional weaving techniques of Han nationality, she made many textile including "Wunijing Bedding" with various patterns.

After Huang Daopo's death, local people buried her near Wunijing Town, and also produced a balled to commemorate the ancient clever woman who was ordinary but great. The popular balled is as follows: "Granny Huang, Granny Huang, teach me to spin, teach me to weave, two spindles and two bolts of cloth."