Old chopsticks manufacturer facing decline

A worker makes chopsticks at the Tiantian company in the Cangshan district of Fuzhou, East China’s Fujian province. The district has a long history of producing diverse styles of chopsticks, and its craftsmanship is part of the province’s intangible cultural heritage list. However, the sector has been gradually declining, with few companies left in the district. Tiantian has been producing and selling chopsticks for more than 30 years, with most of its exquisite chopsticks sold in Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States. The production of quality chopsticks involves about twenty steps, such as selecting and polishing the materials, and takes between 15 days and a month.