Zhao Sijin (L) and an apprentice talk about the methods of bamboo weaving in Zhuyi Village of Daoming Township in Chongzhou, southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 1, 2021. Zhao Sijin worked with preoccupation, his fingers moving nonstop with deftness, until the bamboo strips at hand were woven into a beautiful piece of art. As if by magic, the bamboo weaver, now 86, had never failed to captivate every witness to his superb craftsmanship. Zhao hails from Daoming, a township in southwest China best known for its bamboo strips weaving. With a history that stretches back about 2,000 years, the craft skill was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2014. Zhao became a bamboo weaver at the age of 15, and has since devoted himself to the innovation of bamboo weaving techniques. As a state-level inheritor eager to promote the cultural heritage, he has also taught the time-honored craft in China and beyond. As part of an effort to pass on the craft, a compilation of Zhao's account of the Daoming bamboo weaving was published in 2018. "We cannot afford to let such cultural treasure fade into oblivion. I hope young people will join us to pursue the charm of the craft," he said. (Xinhua/Wang Xi)
