‘Shanbai’ revitalizes traditional crafts

In the mountains of Guzhang County in Xiangxi, Xiang Qingbiao, the uncle and a post-90s man and Xiang Hongjun, the nephew and a post-00s man, recorded the traditional Chinese handicrafts in the form of self-media short videos, attracting wide attention on the Internet.

Since April 2023, they have released videos of replicating traditional handicrafts on the Internet with the name of “Shanbai”, and they have gained more than 8 million fans on the whole network in just over 4 months. They look for production methods in various ancient books, and constantly make explorations after countless failures, showing their tenacity and persistence.

How do the long-buried traditional crafts including Huizhou Ink Stick, Longquan Red Ink Paste, oil-paper umbrellas and grass linen appear before people’s eyes again? The reporter came to a wooden house located in Meita Village, Duanlongshan Town, Guzhang County, and recorded the creation and life of these new farmers with videos. Xiang Hongjun practices weaving fabric for an hour or two every day, in order to reproduce the traditional handicrafts to the largest extent and carry forward China’s intangible cultural heritage.  Cowhide needs to be boiled and stirred for 24 hours without stop to produce gelatin. “Shanbai” not only reproduces China’s intangible cultural heritage, but more importantly, carries forward the valuable craftsman’s spirit. “Shanbai” successfully replicated the complicated processes of the Longquan Red Ink Paste, showing people why the ancient stationery accessories, such as Longquan Red Ink Paste and Huizhou Ink Stick, are durable and as expensive as luxury articles. “Shanbai” often seeks materials from the bamboo forest on the mountains to make various farm tools, such as chopsticks, bamboo baskets and summer sleeping mats.

Influenced by “Shanbai”, more and more people, including family members, relatives, neighbors, and apprentices begin to study the making techniques of traditional handicrafts. They help and learn from each other, so that many time-consuming and labor-intensive processes can be successfully completed. The oil-paper umbrella, with a history of more than 1,000 years, is the earliest umbrella in the world. The setting sun embellishes the oil-paper umbrella made with exquisite craftsmanship.

Writing brush has a history of more than two thousand years. “Shanbai” studies crafts through ancient books and the handicraft masters. As Xiang Qingbiao said, “I can get a sense of accomplishment by doing something really hard. If I fail for the first time, I will try once again and again.”