Li Lu makes silk velvet flower. [Guangming Online]

A young artist specializing in fabric sculpture from east China's Jiangsu Province has injected vitality into the intangible cultural heritage of silk and velvet flower making for the past three years. 

Li Lu, 25, is a professional member of Zhao Shuxian Work Studio, an important base for the study and presentation of the highly realistic silk velvet flowers made in Jiangsu. 

Zhao is one of the few craftsmen who are still engaged in the making of velvet flowers (ronghua) in China. This craft dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and refers to the creation of not only floral display, but also animal shapes made by silk on a twisted wire frame.

Li and many other energetic young people have played an important role in promoting the development of the local traditional artistry. 

Ronghua went viral recently thanks to Story of Yanxi Palace, a hit TV drama set in the reign of Emperor Qianlong who lived in the 18th century. 

In fact, ronghua making is an art with nearly 1,000 years of history. Like many other examples of intangible culture, velvet flower making was facing extinction. Fortunately,  it has regained full development in recent years.

 "It's amazing that most of the ronghua artists are young women in their 20s," says Li with a smile. 

Throughout history, women and young girls loved wearing ronghua in bright colors. Nowadays, girls, especially those who are fans of traditional Chinese clothing, enjoy wearing such eye-catching items. 

Li is familiar with the basic knowledge of silk velvet flower making. During her three years of study, she has won many awards together with her colleagues. 

Liu Wenjie and Zhuang Shanshan are also velvet flower enthusiasts. Although they have just learnt the art for three months, they are adept at operating the basic procedures. 

After taking the lessons from Zhao in college, many young people like Li adopt making ronghua as a career. 

In her innovative work Hetang Yuese (Moonlight over the Lotus Pond), Li used dripped acrylic to represent the water in a lotus pond. No such skills have ever been used before in traditional silk velvet flower making. "My peers are creative in this craft," said Li with pride and confidence.