With the coming of the Year of the Tiger, a county in north China's Shanxi Province is back in the spotlight for its time-honored tiger culture.

Licheng County in east Shanxi is where the ancient Li Kingdom of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC) was located. People of the ancient kingdom worshipped tigers. Despite the vicissitudes of the times, the tiger-loving tradition has been kept alive in the county of some 134,000 residents.

Kristina Radchenko, who came from Russia and now works in the nearby Changzhi City, has been curious about the tiger culture in Licheng, which prompted her to embark on a trip to the county just before the Spring Festival.

The Tiger Museum in Licheng was Radchenko's first stop. At its doorstep, she was attracted by a photo of a jade tiger with sharp claws and its mouth wide open as if hunting.

A museum staffer told Radchenko the jade tiger dates back to some 3,000 years ago. Its excavation in 2006 in the nearby area further supported the existence of the Li Kingdom and the residents' totem worship back then.

This image shows a jade tiger excavated in Licheng County, north China's Shanxi Province. (Xinhua)

She was quickly in love with a row of hand-made cloth tigers inside the museum. These are the most famous representation of Licheng's tiger culture, integrating traditional paper-cutting, embroidery, and other art forms.

With big, round eyes, colorful patterns on the head, and a chubby body, the Lihou Tiger blends the big cat's majesty with cuteness, making it widely popular, especially among kids.

The displays in the museum unfold the evolution of Lihou Tiger craftsmanship. Radchenko noticed that their appearance has become simpler and more fashionable in modern times. The filling has also changed from sawdust to cotton.

In 1998, also a Year of the Tiger, the Lihou Tiger dominated the zodiac stamps released by China Post, giving rise to its fame in China and beyond. Ten years later, the Lihou Tiger was listed in China's Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Since then, orders of this toy and related products started to pour into Licheng, prompting more folk artists and workers to join the industry.

Li Xiaomei is an inheritor of the Lihou Tiger craftsmanship. In Li's studio, Radchenko found an array of hats and shoes with tiger head patterns, and they are all made for children.

"Lihou Tigers are our mascots. We hope our children will grow as strong and brave as tigers," said Li, adding that the custom is deeply rooted in Licheng.

She showed her new Russian friend the steps to make a Lihou Tiger, including drawing the pattern, tailoring, seaming, and stuffing it with cotton before adding other parts onto the tiger's face.

Kristina Radchenko (C), who came from Russia and now works in Changzhi City near Licheng, learns to make a cloth tiger in Licheng County, north China's Shanxi Province, Jan. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Xuetao)

Radchenko couldn't wait to make a Licheng Tiger of her own. Under the patient guidance of Li, she successfully stuck a pair of sparkling eyes and sewed eyebrows onto the face of a blue tiger.

Over the past three months, Li has received orders worth over 200,000 yuan (about 31,407 U.S. dollars). She hired more than 100 workers, mostly women, to speed up production.

"The more famous Lihou Tigers become, the more local women could make a living out of them," Li told Radchenko.

To enhance efficiency and ensure quality, many workers focus on making only one part of a Lihou Tiger, and they are free to work from home.

In Beiguihua Village of the county, 51-year-old Li Jingfen was busy making "tiger tails" in her living room. She has been involved in the production for 12 years. Apart from farming, this job gives her an income of more than 1,000 yuan per month, she said.

Guo Lei, head of the culture and tourism department of Licheng County, said more than 500 professionals currently produce Lihou Tigers. It makes it a relatively massive industry in the local rural revitalization drive.

Around 50,000 pieces of cloth tigers are made annually, earning an extra income of over 10,000 yuan per household, Guo added.

Having lived in China for five years, Radchenko has been impressed by the Chinese people's strong sense of pride in their profound culture. "Everyone is taught from childhood about the importance of preserving and respecting the long history," she noted.

A trip to a small county as Licheng further deepened her understanding. In the local kindergarten, children were singing a folk song about the Lihou Tiger, created by their teachers to pass on their unique heritage in a fun and natural way.

"Chinese culture is amazing. Nearly every single city, village, road, and house carry a memorable past of its own," said Radchenko.