New generation digs old values

A dynamic trial

The first three seasons are all rated around 8 out of a total 10 points on Douban, China's major entertainment review website.

And among the fans is Guo Yiyi from Chengdu, Sichuan province, who is studying traditional Chinese medicine.

Speaking about the program, she says: "Young people may have a modern lifestyle, but a pride for our nation's tradition is always in our blood. And sometimes, we just need to be inspired by something like this."

Meanwhile, despite the success of the show the production team has aimed to make some changes in the new season. They want craftsmanship to be not only celebrated, but be redefined.

So, consequently, in the fourth season, two artisans from the same genre are put together in one episode: one sticking to the traditional methodology and the other doing experiments to showcase the tradition in a modern context.

Xiong Yi, a producer of the show, explains how "young elements" blend in.

"Different facets of the same craftsmanship are displayed," she says.

"Traditions have to be ushered into young people's daily lives. Or else, they will finally be forgotten."

A traditional paper-cutting artist is thus seen in the same episode with a creative animator using a paper-cutting style. And a master maker of dough figurines appears with a pastry chef using the same technique to decorate fondant cakes.

Also on the program, a maker of porcelain ware, who rigidly sticks to a formula and artistic style from 800 years ago, appears with another artisan, who adds modern pop culture designs to traditional porcelain.

"By pairing artisans in the documentary, we don't want to judge whether the creativity is good or bad," says Li. "But we want to say traditional culture is also dynamic."

In the latest season, many artisans are seen being persistent in their pursuit of perfectionism as well as innovation.

For example, Zhong Guokang, a 62-year-old calligrapher in the show, lived like a hermit for 13 years, seldom leaving his house, yet exploring how to combine ancient stone carving with calligraphy.

Another artisan Chen Yingjie, a 28-year-old man blends Chinese ink-and-water paintings and graffiti.