Under the camphor canopy of Fenshuiling Town in Sichuan Province, a family tradition unfolds in bursts of color. Meet the Bis, sixth-generation artisans keeping the storied craft of oil-paper umbrellas alive in Luzhou City.
From the start, it’s all about bamboo. The family selects stalks aged three to five years, sun-dries them, and soaks them for a month to ward off pests. Each segment—no shorter than 25 centimeters—requires exact cuts and precise connections before the paper is pressed evenly over the frame.
But tradition faces modern headwinds. After college, Bi Yuanshen, son of master craftsman Bi Liufu, returned home to skeptics doubting his choice. His father set a challenge: build an entire umbrella solo. Fifteen days later, Yuanshen held a slightly imperfect but resolute umbrella—a testament to patience, determination, and the family’s ethos.
“Making an umbrella is like shaping character,” says Yuanshen. “We’re less concerned with bearing our family name than passing the craft on—and evolving it.”
As global travelers and digital nomads seek authentic experiences, this tiny workshop in Sichuan reminds us that heritage thrives when it adapts. Through bamboo, hands, and heart, the Bi family’s canopy of umbrellas continues to shelter tradition—and invite us all to look up.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
