Artisans in NW China's Gansu make over 3,000 scented sachets for frontline health workers

Liu Lanfang, a traditional producer of and inheritor of techniques for making Qingyang sachets in northwest China's Gansu province, recently led more than 30 artisans to produce over 3,000 scented sachets for frontline health-care workers engaged in the fight against COVID-19.

Photo shows fragrant sachets produced by inheritors of intangible cultural heritage for frontline health workers. (Photo courtesy of the Gansu Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center)

Listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006, Qingyang sachets date back to antiquity. The Huangdi Neijing (The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon), a fundamental doctrinal source of traditional Chinese medicine, listed the sachet as an item that can prevent plague and repel snakes.

Liu has been committed to promoting the Qingyang sachet for many years. "It takes us half an hour to make a sachet, which is full of our best wishes. I hope that the epidemic will end as soon as possible and all the medical staff can be safe," said Liu.

Liu Lanfang, an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, produces fragrant sachets for frontline health workers. (Photo courtesy of the Gansu Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center)

In addition to Liu, other inheritors of intangible cultural heritage in Gansu also made due contributions in the fight against the virus.

For instance, An Qiuping, a fifth-generation inheritor of dough sculptures in Cheng county, Longnan city, Gansu province, created several sets of dough sculpture works on the theme of medical staff rescuing patients.