Shaanxi couple keeps 400-year bamboo lantern craft alive for Spring Festival
By Qin Feng in Xi'an and Chen Meiling |
chinadaily.com.cn |
Updated: 2026-02-12 20:28
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"Splitting bamboo is the trickiest part," Zhang said. He uses a specialized knife that he has owned for many years. The key to splitting is size control: if the bamboo strips have different lengths, the later weaving cannot be done properly.
For Geng, closing the frame is the hardest part. "The real difficulty is finishing it well. Anyone can learn to weave, but few can manage so many bamboo strips neatly." What's more, the newly woven lanterns must be heated over a fire right away to lock the shape. "If we don't heat them, the paste will leave white spots," Geng added.
