Foreign students experience traditional bamboo weaving

News Media Development Center of Deqing County

On June 13, as part of the 2016 International Bamboo Creative Design Camp, a total of 16 students from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and the Shanghai University, arrived in Moganshan Town to learn the bamboo culture. It also invited three local bamboo weaving masters to give on-the-spot demonstrations.

　　"To weave a bamboo basket, we need four bamboo splits in total, so it is a waste of effort..." In the afternoon, the three bamboo masters were showing their skills to the students in the culture hall, Hecun Village. At that time, it just saw a myriad of bamboo splits flying in the air. The masters waved their skillful hands up and down, as well as left and right. After a series of complex processes of bottom weaving, weaving and stitching, many exquisite bamboo weaving crafts featuring novel styles were one by one presented in front of everybody. Bamboo lunch boxes are stylish and environmentally friendly with great creativity; bamboo fruit trays are beautiful and practical; bamboo small animals are lifelike and vivid. These artworks not only showcase the superb weaving skills, but also have artistic collection values, so they were highly appreciated by the students.

　　A student professional in sculpture at the University of Auckland admires for the masters' exquisite craftsmanship: "I've just plaited the hair before, and it is the first time I know the bamboo also can be woven and turned into beautiful works of art. This craftsmanship is amazing."

　　"First, please bend two bamboo splits as an X shape." On the spot, Xuan Guowei, a bamboo weaving craftsmanship inheritor of the municipal-level intangible cultural heritage, taught the students to weave bamboo birds. Picking and pressing, Xuan Guowei wove the bamboo splits at the fingertips in good order. After a short while, a lively bamboo bird appeared in the hands of the teacher. The foreign students who had not seen the bamboo weaving artworks felt exciting and they all tried to do it by themselves.

　　"There is a saying in China: Nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets his mind to it. As long as one has the intentions of hard work, one can learn everything well." When finding that many students failed to master the essentials after quite a long time and started to lack confidences, Xuan Guowei said while giving demonstrations. With the help of an interpreter, several students highly praised that Chinese people are hardworking and have wisdom. "Many old crafts in childhood are seldom seen nowadays. It is fantastic that the foreigners are interested in these traditional crafts." Xuan Guowei said. He hoped thateveryone could feel the charm of bamboo art so as to preserve and pass on the traditional bamboo handicrafts as bamboo crafts are gradually lost from nowadays.