In Fenshuiling Town, Luzhou City, Sichuan Province in the Chinese mainland, a giant camphor tree sets the stage for a centuries-old craft 🌳. Here, Bi Liufu, the sixth-generation artisan, continues his family's legacy of making Luzhou oil-paper umbrellas by hand, just like his ancestors.
The process is as meticulous as your favorite handmade latte: it starts with 3-5-year-old bamboo stalks sun-dried under the Sichuan sun (think sun-drying your morning tea leaves ☀️🍵) and soaked for a month to keep pests away. Every piece must measure at least 25 cm, with each joint cut to perfection. Finally, artisans hand-press paper and coat it in oil for a waterproof finish—rainy-day proof and selfie-ready.
But heritage alone doesn't cut it in a world of AI art and mass production. Enter Bi Liufu's son, Bi Yuanshen. Fresh out of college, he faced skepticism when he dared to take up his family craft. His dad's challenge? "Build an entire umbrella in 15 days." After two weeks of determination, perseverance, and a few wobbly ribs, he had an imperfect yet powerful symbol of character in his hands.
"We don't care if our name is on each umbrella," Yuanshen says with a smile. "What truly matters is passing this craft on and making it shine for the next generation."
From bamboo basics to oil-paper elegance, these umbrellas aren't just practical—they're a bridge between past and future, rooted in tradition yet ready to wow a new audience. Ready to reimagine heritage? Embrace the flair of Sichuan's oil-paper umbrellas and discover how ancient art can rock a modern world 🌈☂️
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
