CCTV9英语新闻11月：上海消失的工艺品（在线收听）

Play Video

By CCTV reporter Shi Wenjing

Shanghai is known as China's commercial hub, where art and craftsmanship has traditionally thrived alongside business. CCTV reporter Shi Wenjing has explored some narrow lanes of the city’s old residential compounds to look at two street craftsmen and the skills in danger of vanishing forever.

92-year-old Wei Pengfei is something of a magician when it comes to bamboo-- he can turn it into all kinds of housewares.

This small store is his home and workshop, inherited from his father more than fifty years ago. The family history can be traced in the piles of bamboo steamers.

“My father learned to make bamboo steamers from my grandfather, and he taught me the skill when I was 5. I’ve been doing this for more than 80 years.” Street craftsman Wei Pengfei said.

Bamboo is rarely found in the city nowadays. The store imports quality stock from a nearby province. It takes about an hour to make a bamboo steamer.

Wei Pengfei says there used to be 100 artisans in Shanghai. He’s the only one in his family who can still make bamboo steamers. He’s also the last generation with this old time skill.

Across the Huangpu River lives another craftsman. Wang Hongchun specializes in the rabbit lanterns, a New Year tradition during China’s Lantern Festival. The 72-year-old is a retired teacher who took up the craft five years ago.

“I learned to make rabbit lanterns from my aunt decades ago. At that time, rabbit lanterns were sold everywhere during the festival. But today it’s hard to find handmade rabbit lanterns in Shanghai. Five years ago, I tried to find a way to restart the production of the lantern because it has many of our memories of the old days." Wang said.

Wang Hongchun moved his workshop to his home early this year due to the increasing rent and production costs. He’ll soon move to a new spacious studio where he can devote more time and energy to reviving this craft.