Ancient craft blooms again

Cai says his team has made velvet items for movies and TV series and that it's one of the ways for audiences to learn about this traditional culture.

Cai founded his velvet flower studio in the capital's Huairou district and started to hire and teach local villagers in 2020.

They gradually started receiving orders from companies to provide customized velvet products for special events.

As this year marks the Year of the Rabbit, Cai recently made a batch of velvet rabbits.

During the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games, the red and blue velvet flowers that decorated the hats of the medal presenters were made by Cai's studio.

According to Cai, the design was inspired by composite flower patterns from Tang Dynasty murals, which have an auspicious meaning.

He thinks the Olympics was a good opportunity to put velvet flower making on the world stage. "It was an honor, as an inheritor of this craft, which has a history of more than 300 years, to present the skill to the world," he says.

Liu Lihua, 37, a local villager, signed up to Cai's training courses when he was preparing to open his studio. Liu found her interest in the craft and ended up joining the studio's staff.

"Making velvet flowers looks easy, but it's not. It needs patience and care to learn the skills," Liu says. "Luckily, unlike other teachers, who are usually tough, Cai has always been encouraging."