Chongqing- The promotional event for intangible cultural heritage “Overseas Influencers Film Chongqing” organized a visit to Dianjiang County on November 23, where iChongqing reporter James Alexander experienced the traditional crafts of Chinese painting, bamboo weaving, and velvet flower art under the tutelage of dedicated teachers and inheritors.

Li Xi’ou was a famous educator during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and a Dianjiang native. In October 2008, the Li Xi’ou Center was established beside Wenbi Lake in honor of his name and has since hosted more than 50 art and calligraphy exhibitions, as well as published numerous painting collections. Currently, 34 painters are employed at the Center, the only academic research institution of its kind in the district.

Dianjiang Vocational Center offers professional instruction to young students in various folk art forms, such as horn carvings, bamboo weaving, and velvet flower art. Once they have created designs based on traditional Chinese elements, students employ a range of handicraft techniques to produce highly intricate and aesthetically pleasing artwork.

Inside are fascinating display rooms with fine artwork produced by teachers and students, and a carved sailing ship made from animal horns with an attractive glossy finish stands out among many fine examples.

Dashi bamboo weaving in Dianjiang has been inherited for around 150 years. It now features innovative tools such as the bamboo joint saw, splitter, and cutting knife for which patents have been successfully obtained. These have benefitted inheritors through increased efficiency, lowered manual costs, and enhanced product value.

Velvet flower art takes silk as the main raw material, which goes through a series of twelve production steps before copper wire is used to bind them into visually appealing shapes and patterns. This art form has a long history dating back to the Ming and Qing dynasties when they were listed as royal tributes. It comes in many varieties, such as flower patterns used for ornaments and accessories.

In this vlog filmed during these on-site visits to Dianjiang, James learns about the intangible cultural heritage of Dianjiang from renowned inheritors and makes a fun yet humble effort to try making a horn carving and bamboo-weaved cup holder for himself.