Under the broad leaves of a giant camphor tree in Fenshuiling Town, Luzhou City, the rhythmic tapping of bamboo echoes through the air. Here, sixth-generation artisan Bi Liufu carries on a centuries-old craft: the delicate oil-paper umbrella.
"Our family has been making oil-paper umbrellas for generations," Bi Liufu explains. "Back then, we were called 'artisans,' which means people who make things by hand." Every umbrella starts with young bamboo—sun-dried, soaked for a month to keep pests away, and sliced into 25cm segments. Precision is key: the connections must be seamless, and the paper pressed just right.
But tradition alone can't survive modern challenges. After college, Bi Liufu's son, Bi Yuanshen, decided to step up. His father set a test: build an entire umbrella from scratch. Fifteen days later, an imperfect yet meaningful umbrella stood tall—a symbol of determination, patience, and pure character 🤝.
"We don't care if the craft bears our family name," says Bi Yuanshen. "We only care about how to pass it on, how to inherit and develop it well." Together, this father-and-son duo proves that with passion and teamwork, even the oldest traditions can find new life under a fresh canopy of creativity 🌟.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
