Bamboo weaver is out of this world

After years of hard work, in February, Xie fulfilled his wish, getting bamboo weaving of Wuyi Mountain recognized as a provincial intangible cultural heritage — first, he had to apply to the county and then city-level authorities, based on his achievement and influence in the field.

He wants to revive the bamboo weaving of Wuyi Mountain and the region's fame as "the home of bamboo". He believes that such a title can better promote the craft.

"The great reputation of Wuyi Mountain's tea overshadows its bamboo weaving tradition, which used to be popular when I was a child. As the tea industry began to thrive, some craftspeople changed their career," he says.

He recalls that the local bamboo weaving products used to be exported abroad, especially to Japan and South Korea. Back then, many articles of everyday use were made from bamboo. These have now mostly been replaced by plastic.

Every year, he joins activities and contests to communicate with other bamboo weavers from across the country, including his master, to pool ideas and information to promote the art form.

Like other inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, Xie finds that it's not easy to pass on the craft, but he's trying his best.

"You have to endure lots of hardship before achieving success. As an apprentice, it takes one or two years before you can make money. You may be tempted to change career to make quick cash," he says.

He teaches those with physical challenges free of charge. As well as online classes, he also teaches optional courses at the local Wuyi University to cultivate student interest in the craftsmanship.