[File photo: Sichuan brocade featuring giant pandas]

Sichuan brocade, embroidery and lacquer art, all of which were added to the list of China's nonmaterial cultural heritage in 2006, are now facing an inheritance crisis, with young people opting not to study the ancient crafts.

The history of Sichuan brocade dates back over 2,000 years. Using silk as a raw material, it usually takes from four months to one year to finish a single piece of brocade, from design to completion.

Cao Daiwu, an inheritor of the craft, said he has had many apprentices before, but few of them persist since it requires a long time to master the techniques. Currently, only four apprentices remain. In April, statistics showed that fewer than 10 craftspeople in Chengdu are able to produce Sichuan brocade. The average age of those craftspeople is over 70.

Cao's apprentice, Li Boli, recommended that a salary be guaranteed in order to attract young people; otherwise it will no longer be handed down through generations. Although high-efficiency machines can be used, the texture of the final product is different from handmade brocade.

Sichuan embroidery featuring lotus and carps

Sichuan embroidery, together with Suzhou embroidery, Hunan embroidery and Guangdong embroidery is known as the "four renowned Chinese embroideries." Peng Yongxing, a national-class artist, is responsible for a contemporary masterpiece of Sichuan embroidery featuring lotus and carps. Pengs son, 55, is taking over the handicraft.

Peng's apprentice, Li Hongxia, 41, explained that embroidery work requires extreme concentration to come out right. Li said at least five years must be spent learning the craft. She herself used to have 20 apprentices, but only one or two stuck with it.

Li has proposed including the handicraft in secondary school education. However, her proposal was rejected by students' parents, as they thought learning the traditional craft would be a waste of study time.

[File photo: lacquer art]

Lacquer art, too, is facing the same challenge. In one lacquer art factory in Sichuan, there are currently 30 workers. Yin Liping, 63, has become the mainstay of this factory, working to carry on the legacy of this 3,000-year-old handicraft.

Chen Shen, a young man born in the 1990s, has also been working in the factory for two years. Before that, he was a designer working in Beijing. Chen explained that he made the career change in order to follow his passion, despite the low salary. Chen said that workers are doing their best to preserve lacquer art and make innovations in the technique so it can be handed down to future generations.