Xinhua News Agency, Nanchang, September 16 (Reporters Wu Huiying, Zhou Mi, Gu Tiancheng) In the early autumn evening, the original sultry heat has disappeared in the air.
The breeze was blowing, and Li Niangen, who had prepared bamboo strips for the whole afternoon, finally stopped his work. He stood up and walked to another venue next door.
Li Niangen pointed to some live broadcast equipment and said: "Today's work is not over yet! After dinner, I will be the "Bamboo Weaving Lao Li" on the live broadcast platform to show you my bamboo weaving works."
Li Niangen and team members introduced their bamboo products through live video (photographed on September 1st).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhou Mi
Li Niangen, 62, is the fifth-generation heir of Dongcun bamboo weaving, a municipal intangible cultural heritage project in Xinyu, Jiangxi Province.
With more than 50 years of craftsmanship, he has "broken the circle" and became a "net celebrity" with millions of fans.
Li Niangen often said that this was originally a craft for life, but he didn't expect that he would be able to make another world.
When he lost his father when he was young, and his mother remarried, Li Niangen had a difficult life when he was young.
When he was less than 9 years old, he followed his uncle, who was a sealer, to learn craftsmanship. At the age of 15, he started his own business.
“In the past, there were a lot of bamboo craftsmen, but they were the only ones who worked diligently and did things well, and others were willing to do things.” Li Niangen said. He once took his apprentices to many villages in Dongcun Township and surrounding townships in Xinyu City. Hundreds of households do things.
The team photographers are taking pictures of Li Niangen's work (photographed on September 1st).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhou Mi
When chatting with reporters, although Li Niangen would mention the difficulties of the past, he more often revealed his pride in the profession of a craftsman.
He patted the bamboo weaving work in his hands and said: "Baskets, dustpans, bamboo mats...In the past, the things used by the villagers were all made by the bamboo craftsmen. We can't do without the bamboo craftsmen!"
This is a bamboo pagoda basket made by Li Niangen (photographed on September 1st).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhou Mi
In 2019, by chance, someone suggested that Li Niangen show bamboo weaving craftsmanship on the Internet, and he tried to "touch the net".
Surprisingly, after several short videos showing bamboo weaving skills, Li Niangen's short video platform account attracted more than 1 million fans.
Li Niangen collects raw materials from the bamboo forest (photographed on September 1).
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhou Mi
"Others told me that I was'fire', and I couldn't believe it. I am in my 60s. How could I become an internet celebrity?" At the beginning, Li Niangen couldn't believe that bamboo weaving was so popular.
With the increasing number of "fans", Li Niangen realized the power of the Internet.
On the short video platform, Li Niangen's bamboo weaving craftsmanship is always amazing and has won many praises.
In the video, Li Niangen, who has decades of skills, can make bamboo strips as thin as silk and soft as paper, and then woven into bamboo woven paintings, or even bamboo woven crafts with rich colors and exquisite shapes.
"My works have been sold all over the country through the Internet, and there are even'fans' who come to me for custom works." Li Niangen said.
Ma Biao, 30, is Li Niangen's first apprentice in more than 20 years.
Prior to his apprenticeship, Ma Biao had worked in Shanghai for 10 years. He had never been exposed to bamboo weaving craftsmanship, but he had the idea of apprenticeship to learn art after seeing Li Niangen's work for the first time.
In late May of this year, Ma Biao came to Xinyu, and learned bamboo weaving from Li Niangen every day. Master's sentence "As long as you work hard, I will teach you the craftsmanship of a lifetime" let him keep in mind.
"I don't know what the future will be, but I want to learn crafts from my master now," Ma Biao said.
As the night got deeper, Li Niangen and Ma Biao finally ended the live broadcast.
On the way home, the two figures stood side by side.