Shanghai protects 57 skills and crafts

Many older Shanghai residents spent time as children hand weaving cotton into a cloth known as nankeen. [File photo]

Shanghai is stepping up its efforts to protect intangible culture, with the recognition of 57 local skills and art forms ranging from furniture to fishing tools.

Many older Shanghai residents spent time as children hand weaving cotton into a cloth known as nankeen. But 39-year-old Wang Haiyan is one of just a few people who still weave the cloth. Her family has been engaged in the craft for generations, and she started when she was just 15.

"I think the cloth is good to make clothes. It's very comfortable. But fewer people in the village are doing it now. So I think we need to let people experience the skill, or it will die," said Wang Haiyan, the folk artist.

With financial support for the local government, Wang and her uncle set up a nankeen exhibition center in Jinshan District. The center has become a tourist attraction, and receives dozens of visitors every day. Visitors can experience the traditional cloth-making process, tailor-make clothes, and also make nankeen pictures.

"Last year, we organized some activities for a family tour. Then I thought of using the nankeen with different colors and patterns to paste on a picture. I created a sample and taught a family to do it. It really worked. So I started doing this," said Jiang Yongxun, the folk artist.

So far, Jiang has created more than 100 such pictures, and is now teaching the art form to six young students.