Chen Jiong, an associate professor of the School of Arts of Renmin University of China, has been working in the countryside for many years. His team drew inspiration from Guizhou's ancient paper-making method to design interesting "paper tea" , created batik bookmarks and fish- shaped lamps and made fashionable jewelry with the elements of traditional horsetail embroidery. The seed of revitalizing countrysides by art was planted in 2011 when Chen Jiong visited Dashan Ancient Village in Guizhou. It is a turning point for him to firmly engage in the arts-led rural revitalization. 

Ten years ago, Chen Jiong took his students to an ancient ethnic minority village in Qianxinan Buyi and Miao Prefecture to draw inspirations. Thus, he met a group of naive and lovely children. One of the little girls told him that she was very eager to have a picture book. This touched him: art should not be alienated from rural or poor people. They also need art. How to cultivate children’s mind by art, especially in a sustainable way. Following this idea, Chen Jiong begin to the explore the way to transform rural areas by art.

Findthe craftsman’s spirit in mountainsand discover thebeauty of intangible heritages 

In April 2017, Chen Jiong and his students came to Guizhou again and visited about seven villages in Danzhai County. These villages all have their distinguished traditional crafts such as batik, Miao embroidery, Miao silver jewelries, horsetail embroidery and bamboo cages. Danzhai County in Guizhou is home to 8 national intangible cultural heritages, 17 provincial intangible cultural heritages, 130 county-level intangible cultural heritages.

Chen Jiong met a female Miao embroider. She said that all through their lives, most female embroiders' pursuit in embroidery is just for four pieces of clothes - a wedding gown, a piece of children's clothes, a piece of husband's clothes and a piece of funeral clothes. These four pieces of clothes compose the most important part of a Miao woman's life. In a bigger picture, Miao embroidery records the ups and falls of this nation. In a smaller one, it records the life of everyone in this tribe.

Through learning about Danzhai Miao embroidery for just a dozen days, Chen Jiong found that it is no other handicrafts that can interpret the "craftsman’s spirit" better- the emotion poured into every weaving, the unparalleled craft, the wonderful culture behind each pattern, the profound philosophy in each item and the continuously-honed skills passed down from generation to generation.

Turn the past into the present, and create a new fashion pattern with the ancient and simple technology

Inspired by the ancient paper-making method of Shiqiao Village in Danzhai, Chen Jiong and his team developed "paper tea" that is drinkable. This tea was also packaged with a unique design that obtained a patent. "This is a new combination of the beauty of handicrafts and the function of commodity. It is an 'agricultural creative product' developed by local handicrafts, technical processes and raw materials,” said Chen.

They also designed a batik fish-shaped lamp for craftsmen. The patterns are inspired by the local costumes and displayed in a dazzling modern way. "We publicize our 'agricultural creative products' by exhibiting them. In this way, we guide the audience to understand the Chinese way of life and philosophic and poetic spirit. We express the mysterious culture in a poetic way, so as to make it fit the contemporary taste." said Chen.

How to turn the villages’ ancient and unsophisticated culture and crafts into popular products? Chen Jiong believes that "delighting the eyes" is important. “Talking with the past in a modern way is my creative concept, which needs to find a modern and contemporary language rooted in tradition. This language needs to be intelligible across the world and in the future. The expressions, logical thinking and aesthetic taste of the young people these days become very different, so we need to talk with them in a readable language and then we can attract their attention,”said Chen.

Chen Jiong went to southwest, southeast and north Guizhou to enjoy the scenery. "Guizhou is particularly beautiful and the locals have the spirit of craftsmanship. But, their handicrafts are so complex that the  cultural products are sold at a price much higher than the expected market price," said Chen. Chen looks forward to the arrival of a innovative design, making Guizhou cultural products with practical functions portable and affordable. Thus, Guizhou cultural products can go out of the mountains.