Firelight fancies

Materials and designs

Xu has also applied other Chinese cultural elements, such as paper-cuts and fine brushwork, to the local lanterns, and he has also incorporated the use of new materials, such as silk.

The young man has also applied his college education to upgrading the lanterns' structures.

"A layer of cotton paper or xuanzhi (rice paper) is mounted onto the glossy paper to give it thickness, so it can better stand without a supporting frame," he says.

"However, it cannot be too thick, or the lantern won't be translucent."

Through precise calculations, Xu has managed to enhance the lanterns' aesthetics and sturdiness and create lanterns with more layers of texture.

Due to technological limitations, traditional needle-pierced frameless lanterns typically range in size from 20 to 40 centimeters. However, Xu can create lanterns that reach a height of 1.2 meters.

He says he has drawn inspiration from the practice of adding a horizontal beam when building houses in the countryside. So, when increasing the height of the lanterns, he applies architectural principles by adding a horizontal beam, which makes the lanterns sturdier.

At the same time, he has crafted clearer lines through meticulous planning of the cutting and pasting.

"The design of the border involves the use of geometric knowledge, transitioning from solid geometry to plane geometry, and then back to solid geometry. Fortunately, I am particularly sensitive to this area, and my learning in this aspect has been quite helpful," he says.

Now, Xu has opened an online shop selling his lanterns, and received orders from home and abroad.

"People will place orders (for the lanterns) as a prop for a photo shoot wearing traditional costumes, and many tourist attractions use them for decorations," he says.

Xu has also developed an innovative kit that enables amateurs to enjoy the fun of putting together a pierced frameless lantern.

He says it's his wish to improve the local lanterns, so they can be better appreciated by the modern world and used in more occasions beyond the holidays.

He has already adapted some lanterns into lamps to go with modern home settings.

As his innovative works have been collected by various museums in recent years, Xu says he feels more motivated to find opportunities to combine novel ideas with the traditional craft.