Lanterns hang from a rack in He Weifu's workshop.

The lantern that Airbus asked He and his grandfather to make in 1983.

By Du Qiongfang

As a traditional craft, many Chinese, especially those over 50, can make paper lanterns shaped like rabbits or other animals, but most pale in comparison to He Weifu, a well-known crafter of the color lanterns made famous by China's annual Lantern Festival, which takes place today across the country.

He, 61, has been making the lanterns - which are traditionally made in the shape of a rabbit for the festival - for more than 35 years, inheriting the skills from his grandfather, He Keming, himself a famous maker of traditional Chinese color lanterns.

His animal lanterns are considered representative of the southern tradition of the craft in China. As such, the government funds He's work under the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List, allowing him to take on apprentices and pass on his style of creating color lanterns to future generations, much like how his grandfather passed on the skill to him. In He's workshop at the Shanghai Arts and Crafts Museum, lanterns in vivid shapes of different kinds of fish and birds hang all over the studio. "Almost every Chinese can make animal lanterns, but not everyone can make them look alive," He said.

A passing tradition

Nowadays, most animal lanterns are made of plastic and nylon rather than wire and paper. They are no longer lit with candles but with battery-powered bulbs. Traditionally, children pull wheeled lanterns that their parents created around during the Lantern Festival, but that tradition of parents making hand-crafted lanterns has all but disappeared.

The festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month on the Chinese lunar calendar. It is considered the last day of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration. During the Lantern Festival, children go out at night, walking their paper rabbit lanterns and solving riddles.

Learning from a master

He did not show much interest in lantern making until he was 26, when he was working at a factory that produced electricity meters. At that time, his grandfather was already over 80. "As the eldest grandson of my grandfather, I thought I had a responsibility to learn the craft because my father and uncles never wanted to learn it," He said.

Although his grandfather had made his reputation by developing his own style of colored lanterns, he never encouraged his sons or grandsons to follow him. "My grandfather thought we would only master the craft if we truly wanted to learn it. So when I told him that I wanted to learn, he hesitated, asking me if I was sure. I told him I was," He recalled.

From then on, He started learning the basic skills of making animal lanterns. The construction of all traditional lanterns starts with the creation of a wire skeleton, made from straightened iron wires which have been wrapped in paper. He spent one year just practicing straightening and wrapping wires. In his studio, he showed wires of different diameters, some as thin as a hair. The wire needs to be wrapped with two layers of paper, one white and one that is either gold or silver. The lanterns are then wrapped in silk and painted. Wrapping may not seem difficult, "but it's the foundation of a successful lantern. If you don't pay attention to the details, the lantern will end up a failure," he said.

In 1983, when Airbus, the European aircraft manufacturer, wanted to introduce its A310 airliner to China, it sought out He's grandfather because of the vivid color lanterns he created. The company asked He and his grandfather to make a color lantern in the shape of an A310 plane to show at a press conference.

The lantern ended up being 80 centimeters long and 60 centimeters wide. It took He's grandfather a week to build the lantern's wire framework. It took He, his grandfather and his apprentices half a month to finish the lantern, though they earned 1,000 yuan ($152) for their work. The average salary of a worker of that time was just 30 yuan to 40 yuan per month.

He Weifu makes a fish-shaped lantern in his workshop. Photos: Du Qiongfang

Unique characteristics

Over the last 35 years, He has persisted in watching small animals and taking note of their unique characteristics. "Do you know what the distinguishing feature of a pigeon is?" asked He, who spends a lot of time noting the characteristics of birds, insects and fish. "They have big, round heads. That's the main characteristic that differentiates them from other birds."

He collects images of different animals he sees in his everyday life. The picture books he keeps are worn from his frequent flipping.

"To make vivid animal lanterns, you have to keep the image of the animal in your mind," he said.

"You have to be very interested in the craft, otherwise you won't have the patience to finish a lantern. A pair of skilled hands also helps," he added.

Usually, it takes He three days to make a small animal lantern. The typical craftsman can turn out several lanterns in a day, though none are as detailed as He's. For He, even a single feather needs several steps to finish.

He persists in using fine silk to cover the lanterns, though he has adopted batteries to power them. He believes that an animal lantern made with carefully selected materials is a masterpiece that far outshines the lanterns that one can buy on the street.

As a cultural envoy, He has showcased his work in Singapore and Hawaii in the US. "I am pleased that this traditional Chinese craft interests foreigners," said He, who will visit Hawaii for the third time later this year.