Vivid cloth tigers made by Lei Zhichao, from Huaiyang county of Henan province. [Photo/IC]

Lei Zhichao, a 54-year-old farmer from Huaiyang county of Henan province, is an intangible cultural heritage inheritor, who has been obsessed with creating cloth tigers for decades.

Cloth tigers originated from ancient totem worship. The old legend said that in ancient times, due to the collapse of heaven and earth, there were only Fuxi and his sister left on earth. They went to find spouses, but when they could find no one else, they had to marry each other. Fu Xi was too shy, so he dressed up as a tiger to marry his sister. After the marriage, the human race could continue. Cloth tigers are not just for decoration but also a way to respect human ancestors Fu Xi and Nv Wa.