Current location:style >>
Across China: Coconut carvings shape villagers' prosperous lives
style9197People have gathered around
IntroductionZhang Bidi makes coconut carvings with his students in his studio in Qionghai, south China's Hainan ...
Zhang Bidi makes coconut carvings with his students in his studio in Qionghai, south China's Hainan Province, Feb. 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
HAIKOU, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Wearing masks and overalls, two villagers skillfully drilled holes into coconut shells and used machines to cut them into circular and square pieces.
They are residents of Yushu Village in the city of Wenchang, in the tropical island province of Hainan. In the early years, local people made ends meet by planting vegetables like peppers or by working in big cities.
Thanks to the development of the burgeoning coconut carving industry, villagers do not need to work outside their hometowns any longer. Coconut processing has become a new way to make a living, bringing job opportunities with handsome profits.
The change of Yushu Village is an example of China's efforts to push forward rural vitalization.
China unveiled its "No. 1 central document" for 2022 last week, calling for efforts to be made to develop county-level industries and commerce systems, as well as to encourage rural residents to obtain employment or start businesses locally.
FROM GAMEPADS TO COCONUT LOUDSPEAKERS
In Yushu Village, processed coconut shells are sent to factories that design and make coconut carvings. Zhang Bidi owns one of the factories.
Zhang, 53, was born in the city of Qionghai in Hainan. When he was a kid, his neighbor was a carpenter that was good at coconut carving.
"I developed a deep affection for coconut carvings when I was a child," he recalled.
In 1991, after graduation from high school, Zhang went to the city of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, and worked in a company making gamepads. Zhang worked years there until 2010 when an idea suddenly crossed his mind.
"Out of nowhere, I had an idea to make a blue-tooth loudspeaker in the shape of a coconut carving," he said. "It proved to be the best idea ever."
Zhang believed that blue-tooth loudspeakers would be popular with the public, and he continued to dig into the industry.
"Coconut shells have high density and have high resonance, so I thought it would be a good business opportunity," he said.
In 2015, Zhang returned to his hometown and launched a coconut carving company with his wife.
CARVING OUT A BRIGHT FUTURE
Zhang said that coconut carvings are a highlight of Hainan's handicrafts and are intangible cultural heritage.
"The problem is that few people know about coconut carvings and the industry scale is still small," said Zhang.
To solve the problem, Zhang set up a research and development studio for coconut carving in 2018.
"I teach 60 students every semester. They can learn coconut carving skills and design, as well as work as interns in my company," he said.
Chen Bolin, 20, graduated from college last year. She works in Zhang's company.
"I joined the company because I was attracted by the coconut carving culture, and I want more people to know about it," said Chen.
Chen and her friends registered a new company several months ago that takes on the design and marketing for the coconut carvings.
Fu Yanzhen, 35, married her husband in Yushu Village. She used to do some part-time jobs in big cities far away from home to make ends meet.
Thanks to the coconut carving industry, she does not need to leave home for work anymore. Instead, she is in charge of coconut shell cutting in her village.
"The job brings me about 3,500 yuan (about 555 U.S. dollars) per month. It is much better than my job before and is closer to my family," Fu said. ■
Zhang Bidi carves on a coconut shell in his studio in Qionghai, south China's Hainan Province, Feb. 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
Zhang Bidi chooses coconut shells for carvings in Yushu Village of Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, Feb. 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
Photo taken on Feb. 18, 2022 shows coconut carvings made by students of Zhang Bidi in Qionghai, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
Zhang Bidi (1st R) makes coconut carvings with his students in his studio in Qionghai, south China's Hainan Province, Feb. 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
Zhang Bidi carves on a coconut shell in his studio in Qionghai, south China's Hainan Province, Feb. 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“International Iterations news portal”。http://www.videocameralive.com/article-98e399817.html
Related articles
Tesla's stock leaps on reports of Chinese approval of driving software
styleNEW YORK (AP) — Shares of Tesla stock rallied Monday after the electric vehicle maker’s CEO, Elon Mu ...
【style】
Read moreIndependent publisher rejected from taking part in Hong Kong Book Fair
styleAn independent publisher founded by a teacher who was injured in the 2019 protests and unrest has be ...
【style】
Read moreHKFP Lens: Hong Kong press group announces winners of annual news photo contest
styleThe Hong Kong Press Photographers Association (HKPPA) announced the winners of its annual Focus at t ...
【style】
Read more
Popular articles
- Billy Joel serenades ex
- Go on holiday for just £6.40 with the Mail experts' guide to the best bargain trips
- Core blimey! Scientists discover how to squeeze even more nutrients from apples
- I'm a solo British traveller
- Chinese business group 'shocked, dissatisfied' over EU raids on Chinese company
- I'm a female solo traveller... here are THREE European cities I wished I'd skipped
Latest articles
King and Queen jet back to London for public
The ultimate coffee
With a wet Easter looming, we round up the 20 best last
'Forget the Algarve!' Travel experts reveal breathtaking lesser
China to hold first space cooperation forum with LatAm, Caribbean countries
Inside the Cambodian hotel with rooms fit for top
LINKS
- Blaze at abandoned building in Wellington
- 60 migrants die in dinghy in Mediterranean, survivors say
- Labour's Rachel Boyack confirms 26
- Man who went missing while fishing on boat off Hawke's Bay coast named
- Blaze at abandoned building in Wellington
- Local board opposes boundary change for Ōtara community
- Impossible decisions and the job he never got to do
- GP practices asking patients to pay before seeing a doctor due to bill skipping
- Watch: PM Christopher Luxon speaks at first post
- Wellington job market already tough before public sector redundancies