Striving to keep a New Year tradition alive

Wishes and worries

Fang's biggest wish is to teach as many students as he can.

"A New Year print craftsman now earns around 50,000 yuan ($7,270) a year, not enough to make a decent living," he said.

Of the 28 students Fang has taught in the past decade, only 10 have chosen to continue with the craft, and in Suzhou, only about a dozen craftsmen are still in the trade.

When exhibitions are held at home and abroad, few people show interest in actually learning the art, Fang said.

"It is more important that we attract more people to learn it and devote themselves to Chinese cultural heritage," he said.

According to the local heritage protection office, half the inheritors of intangible cultural heritage are now older than 65.

"Our own awareness of our culture should be raised to better protect and pass down intangible cultural heritage," said Wang Yan, deputy director of the office.

A local regulation came into effect in Suzhou this week to preserve endangered intangible cultural heritage.

A national project is also under way to collect historical materials and build archives for 100 folk arts, including Taohuawu New Year printing and Thangka, or Tibetan scroll painting.

"We must pass down the arts that our ancestors gave us," Fang said.