Editor's note: The 5th China International Import Expo is about to open in Shanghai.

In the past five years, the success of the CIIE cannot be separated from the support and contributions of the vast number of overseas Chinese.

They either seized the opportunity, actively participated in the exhibition, or made connections across borders and promoted the Expo, which effectively conveyed China's determination and confidence in deepening reform and opening up.

Under the guidance of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, the Shanghai Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and the Shanghai Branch of China News Agency launched a specially planned series of reports on "Overseas Chinese and the Expo in the Past Five Years", telling the wonderful stories of overseas Chinese who have helped the CIIE in the past five years.

　　China News Service, Shanghai, October 28 (Reporter Fan Yubin) "Look at this knot, is it like a yurt roof? It is a symbol of unity." The hand of Shan Lina, the winner of the "Magnolia Memorial Award" and the representative inheritor of Shanghai's intangible cultural heritage "Chinese Clothing Button Making Technique", has turned into a plump and round knot, which is the art of buttoning.

Shan Lina, winner of Shanghai "Magnolia Memorial Award" and representative inheritor of Shanghai intangible cultural heritage "Chinese Clothing Button Making Technique".

Photo courtesy of the interviewee

　　The 5th China International Import Expo (hereinafter referred to as the "CIIE") is about to open. Shan Lina recently accepted an exclusive interview with Chinanews.com to introduce her love affair and the story of China International Import Expo.

　　Pan button, also known as pan button, is a kind of button in traditional Chinese clothing and one of the representative elements of Chinese clothing culture.

The buckle is connected with the art of cheongsam. It originated in the Central Plains and flourished in the south of the Yangtze River. It has a history of thousands of years.

"Pankou art is a fusion and innovation of tradition and modernity, and it is the crystallization of Jiangnan culture and Shanghai culture." Shan Lina said.

　　At the first three CIIEs, Shan Lina appeared in the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Living Room" experience area of ​​the Shanghai intangible cultural heritage thematic exhibition, where she demonstrated the production skills of disc buttons on site, attracting many guests to stop and watch.

"All kinds of traditional Chinese culture and modern fashion elements vividly jumped on this small plate button, which made many foreign reporters and guests feel novel at that time, and many people followed me to experience the plate button production." She recalled.

　　Plum orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, purple clay pot, facial makeup, flying sky... The buckles are made of a wide range of materials, small and exquisite, and embody the ingenuity and skills of the craftsmen.

In Shanlina's view, the craftsmanship of intangible cultural heritage buckles is passed down through oral teachings. The charm of buckles lies in self-cultivation, and the beauty of buckles is a way of expressing the inner beauty of the creator.

Shan Lina is creating Pan Art works.

Photo courtesy of the interviewee

　　The CIIE has been held for four times, and the active participation of overseas Chinese has made a bridge for the successful holding of the CIIE.

Shanlina told reporters that she was lucky to be one of them, and she was happy to tell the story of her "mother's family".

"Only by telling the Chinese story of my mother's family can we build cultural confidence overseas."

　　Shan Lina used to be an actress. In 1998, she returned to China to study Chinese clothing and button making skills. She is proud that she pioneered the art category of "flower button" and became the leader of button art.

　　"Pankou is an independent art, which can be viewed as well as practical. Using it to tell Chinese stories well, it can better understand China." Shan Lina said, "The CIIE is a very good bridge. Not only 'bringing in', but also 'going out', I hope our excellent Chinese culture can 'go overseas' to exchange and learn from each other."

　　The small buttons are becoming more and more fashionable in Shanlina's hands.

In the past 24 years, she has devoted a lot of energy and financial resources to create a large number of exquisite works of art.

Today, she is the third generation representative inheritor of the button making skills.

With 157 series and 2,418 buckles, she won the Guinness World Records in Shanghai, creating a sensational "miracle of buckles".

She also toured the Shanghai World Expo with the buckle, and made three appearances at the CIIE...

　　As a German-Chinese, Shanlina has always been happy to promote the skill of clasping and Chinese culture overseas.

"Intangible cultural heritage is one of the symbols of Chinese culture. As the only foreign inheritor of intangible heritage in China, I hope that through the deduction, more people from overseas, such as the second generation of overseas Chinese, the third generation of overseas Chinese, and so on, can subtly understand and fall in love with China. Don't forget your roots in China," she said.

　　In 2018, Shan Lina created Pan Yi's "Rise of China Series", using 18 works to tell the iconic events in Chinese history and show the long-standing Chinese culture at home and abroad; in 2019, she created Pan Yi's work "Point". "Bright and Brilliant" was permanently collected by the Memorial Hall of the First Congress of the Communist Party of China...

Shan Lina's Pan Yi work "Light Up the Brilliant".

Photo courtesy of the interviewee

　　As a distinct oriental element, the buckle has become more and more popular in recent years.

"As an inheritor, it is particularly important to maintain the self-discipline of continuous self-improvement and the spirit of continuous breakthrough and innovation." Shanlina said that she has formulated a centennial plan for the intangible cultural heritage team.

Recently, she also created and completed the "56 Ethnic Groups" pan art works, hoping to show the great unity of all ethnic groups in China.

　　It is true that the art of buckle is only a point in the elements of Chinese culture.

In the past 24 years, Shanlina has never sold any fine works, she revealed to reporters: "In the future, I want to build a museum to display all the works I have created, as a patriotic education base to convey Chinese culture to more people. The beauty of art."

　　"The beauty of Pan Yi, where is the beauty?" Shanlina replied without hesitation, "The beauty of Pan Yi is in the heart." (End)