Passing the light on

More than a decade ago, Huang Zhiyong returned to Shiting village in Yixian county, Anhui province, and transformed a crumbling Huizhou-style mansion into a boutique homestay. Today, his son, Huang Xianhao, has followed in his footsteps, returning home to establish a workshop dedicated to Shiting's traditional lantern-making craft.

Together, father and son have helped breathe new life into the once-quiet village, drawing young people back and giving its cultural heritage a renewed future.

The old ancestral hall is lit up again. Young people from all over Anhui gather here to tie lantern frames and paint colorful patterns. The veteran bamboo craftsmen in the village have picked up their knives once more, providing bamboo strips for lantern-making, and reviving the time-honored traditional craft.

The traditional lantern-making craft is unique to Shiting village. According to local records, it dates back to the Xianfeng Emperor's reign of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and is a distinctive expression of Huizhou folk art.

Crafted from locally grown mature bamboo, each lantern goes through more than 10 meticulous stages, including splitting, weaving, shaping, papering, and hand-painting. Designs range from dragons, phoenixes, fish and horses to the 12 Chinese zodiac animals and everyday household objects.

The craft faded for decades as times changed. In 2023, after graduating from college, Huang Xianhao returned home determined to revive it. He learned from veteran artisans, built on his family's bamboo-weaving tradition, assembled a young creative team, and introduced contemporary designs while preserving traditional techniques.

The workshop now produces more than 30 lantern styles. Its creations feature in festive lantern parades and are also made to order for commercial clients. During this year's Spring Festival celebrations, Shiting's lantern parades attracted thousands of residents and visitors.

"Rural vitalization ultimately depends on the people," Huang Zhiyong says. His son believes villages are not destined to disappear as lifestyles evolve, but instead can enter a new chapter.

As more young people choose to settle in Shiting, the ancient village is writing a vibrant new story.