Skillful hands turn bamboo, dough into art pieces
By Wang Jie |
December 26, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
XUE Qihua is a resident in Zhongfang Village, which is noted for its bamboo weaving industry in Malu Town. Here each family plants bamboo and makes utensils from the plant, such as bamboo baskets and bamboo mats.
At the age of 11, Xue started weaving bamboo articles under the guidance of his mother. He studied at school during the day and worked with his mother during the evening. Sometimes they would weave bamboo until mid-night, then they would carry the bamboo utensils to Nanxiang Town for sale.
"I preferred doing this kind of handwork to studying at school when I was a boy. Sometimes I skipped school just to learn how to weave bamboo," the 67-year-old Xue can't help laughing when recalling his naughty childhood behavior.
During the 1960s, the Three Years of Natural Disasters brought many Chinese families close to starvation, Xue had to stop his studies to earn a living for his family. He often worked overnight to weave bamboo utensils for sale to support the family of seven members. In this way, Xue and his family survived the tough times.
Today the living conditions have improved, and some old buildings have made way for new ones. Most of the villagers have given up the skill of bamboo weaving. But Xue is unwilling to abandon the technique. After retirement, he started weaving bamboo again. But today bamboo articles are seldom used as vessels for food or needlework tools as they used to be, but become art pieces for collection. During the World Expo 2010 Shanghai, Haibao (Expo mascot) made by Xue was displayed to the public, which again showcased the skillful hands of Jiading people to the world.
Visitors wandering the old streets in Anting Town often bump into a middle-aged man making a dough figurine. Under his skillful hands, the dough is turned into vividly shaped chubby pandas, brilliant birds, naughty monkey king and lovely rabbits. He is the director of Chinese Folk Hand Craftsmanship Performing Troupe - Qiu Baoyou.
The 43-year-old Qiu was born in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province. Qiu started making dough figurines when he was at the age of 19. One day when he was returning home from work and passed a neighbor's home, he saw his neighbor was making a dough figurine. Qiu was suddenly attracted and from then on he started to learn how to make dough figurines.
At the beginning, Qiu was only able to create three figurines - a rabbit, a bird and the monkey king. But in the 1990s, he resolutely quit his job and depended on his beloved dough figurines for a living. He lived in a warehouse and became a dough figure hawker. He woke up early in the morning and went home late at night and learned where to sell his goods. During the weekend, he hurried to the school, the wet market, the gate of the parks to occupy a good position. "At that time, a dough figurine only cost 0.50 yuan (8 US cents), but I earned 600 yuan a month," says Qiu elatedly.
After 20 years of practice, Qiu is now able to make everything that he sees. His fame has also spread far and wide. In 2002, he joined the Chinese Folk Hand Craftsmanship Performing Troupe. He worked with 300 folk craftsmen in the artistic creation, including dough figure and sugar figure making, grass weaving and wood, stone and bamboo carving. Sometimes he teaches kids and primary school students how to make dough figurines in the hope that the special technique could be inherited in the future.
In recent years, the performing troupe has been frequently invited to Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou and Hangzhou. The most unforgettable experience for Qiu was performing on a cruise along the Huangpu River. Visitors from home and abroad were so drawn to his performance that they even ignored the splendid views of the Huangpu River.
At the age of 11, Xue started weaving bamboo articles under the guidance of his mother. He studied at school during the day and worked with his mother during the evening. Sometimes they would weave bamboo until mid-night, then they would carry the bamboo utensils to Nanxiang Town for sale.
"I preferred doing this kind of handwork to studying at school when I was a boy. Sometimes I skipped school just to learn how to weave bamboo," the 67-year-old Xue can't help laughing when recalling his naughty childhood behavior.
During the 1960s, the Three Years of Natural Disasters brought many Chinese families close to starvation, Xue had to stop his studies to earn a living for his family. He often worked overnight to weave bamboo utensils for sale to support the family of seven members. In this way, Xue and his family survived the tough times.
Today the living conditions have improved, and some old buildings have made way for new ones. Most of the villagers have given up the skill of bamboo weaving. But Xue is unwilling to abandon the technique. After retirement, he started weaving bamboo again. But today bamboo articles are seldom used as vessels for food or needlework tools as they used to be, but become art pieces for collection. During the World Expo 2010 Shanghai, Haibao (Expo mascot) made by Xue was displayed to the public, which again showcased the skillful hands of Jiading people to the world.
Visitors wandering the old streets in Anting Town often bump into a middle-aged man making a dough figurine. Under his skillful hands, the dough is turned into vividly shaped chubby pandas, brilliant birds, naughty monkey king and lovely rabbits. He is the director of Chinese Folk Hand Craftsmanship Performing Troupe - Qiu Baoyou.
The 43-year-old Qiu was born in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province. Qiu started making dough figurines when he was at the age of 19. One day when he was returning home from work and passed a neighbor's home, he saw his neighbor was making a dough figurine. Qiu was suddenly attracted and from then on he started to learn how to make dough figurines.
At the beginning, Qiu was only able to create three figurines - a rabbit, a bird and the monkey king. But in the 1990s, he resolutely quit his job and depended on his beloved dough figurines for a living. He lived in a warehouse and became a dough figure hawker. He woke up early in the morning and went home late at night and learned where to sell his goods. During the weekend, he hurried to the school, the wet market, the gate of the parks to occupy a good position. "At that time, a dough figurine only cost 0.50 yuan (8 US cents), but I earned 600 yuan a month," says Qiu elatedly.
After 20 years of practice, Qiu is now able to make everything that he sees. His fame has also spread far and wide. In 2002, he joined the Chinese Folk Hand Craftsmanship Performing Troupe. He worked with 300 folk craftsmen in the artistic creation, including dough figure and sugar figure making, grass weaving and wood, stone and bamboo carving. Sometimes he teaches kids and primary school students how to make dough figurines in the hope that the special technique could be inherited in the future.
In recent years, the performing troupe has been frequently invited to Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou and Hangzhou. The most unforgettable experience for Qiu was performing on a cruise along the Huangpu River. Visitors from home and abroad were so drawn to his performance that they even ignored the splendid views of the Huangpu River.
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