Inheritor in E China's Anhui dedicated to passing on headdress making craft

Chan Yunqiu makes an opera headdress in his living room in Shipai township, Huaining county, east China's Anhui Province. (People's Daily Online/Chen Ruotian)

Shipai township in Huaining county, east China's Anhui Province is known as the "hometown of operas." Chan Yunqiu, a fifth-generation inheritor of the Shipai opera headdress making craft, has been making opera headdresses for over 60 years.

Starting as an apprentice at the age of 13, his passion for arts and crafts led him to pursue this skill. Today, at the age of 78, Chan continues to work diligently in his small living room, surrounded by tools and materials such as jade beads, tassels, cardboard, and iron wires.

It takes more than 10 intricate steps and about a week to complete an opera headdress.

Opera headdresses play a crucial role in portraying the spirit, appearance, and movement of the characters on stage. Chan pays attention to detail, saying the audience's first impression of the characters is often formed through the headdresses they wear.

Chan Yunqiu instructs children on the craft of headdress making. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Learning the craft is a time-consuming endeavor that requires a profound grasp of historical and cultural knowledge. Even today, Chan always has a book in his hands during his free time.

For many years, Chan has taught himself various art forms, including painting, sculpture, calligraphy, carving, garden design, and ancient architectural decoration. His commitment to studying and creating traditional headdresses is evident.

As the opera culture becomes more popular, many young people are drawn to learn from Chan the craft of making opera headdresses.

"A young woman from Hunan Normal University sought me out to learn the craft from me. There was also a young man from Peking University who studied with me for three months and completed a thesis," Chan said.