Figures from the past have modern appeal

Reaching out

That was when Tang took the initiative to make innovation, cut costs and popularize the art.

She found imitation silk, with no visual difference, and hand drawing was replaced by digital printing, all of which greatly enhanced efficiency, cut costs and thus increased productivity.

"However, it is essential to preserve the original elegance and delicacy of the silk figurines, along with the cultural characteristics of the various historical periods," Tang says.

Some traditional techniques, such as twisting silk into flowers, are still used for accessories, such as the phoenix hairpins and tassels on the Peking Opera headdresses.

"The traditional patterns have all been kept as well," Tang says.

Her team has to paint those patterns first, before they are scanned into the computer for printing.

This approach managed to retain the essence of juanren and bring the price down to no more than a few hundred yuan, immediately injecting vitality into the trade.

"They have been snatched up during holiday celebrations," Tang says.

In 2003, Tang established the Tangrenfang museum to further promote the art form.

She first went to the rural areas of southwestern Guizhou and Sichuan provinces to find potential inheritors, who she says are the key for carrying forward the intangible cultural heritage.

"The local girls are naturally skilled in handicrafts, since they learn embroidery, weaving and dyeing from their mothers and grandmothers," Tang says.

Therefore, she has offered them juanren and local intangible cultural heritage training for free, so they can inherit those cultural forms, while picking up new skills and getting job opportunities.

Over the past decade, more than 300 underprivileged girls and women have benefited from Tang's initiative, and approximately 30 have stayed in Tangrenfang to continue their work.

Luo Jinfeng from Guizhou was among the first group of students who joined Tang in crafting Beijing juanren.

"First, we need to understand what the original craftsmanship is like, then combine it with modern development methods, aesthetics and techniques," Luo says.

After Luo came to Beijing a few years ago, she continued her studies in fashion design at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology.

She says she hopes to apply the knowledge she has learned at the institute to the design of Beijing juanren.

Tangrenfang has become a popular weekend getaway for many people keen to try their hand at the craft, while enjoying fruit picking, blossoms and fishing.

It is part of Tang's effort to bring Beijing juanren closer to the public.

In the past decade, Tang's dolls have made their way to more than 20 countries, including Germany, France, the United States, Thailand and Singapore.

At cultural exchange events, the Chinese dolls have been highly popular, giving Tang more cultural confidence.

"All the items we took out for display were sold out," Tang says.

Tangrenfang has recently joined hands with the Palace Museum, the National Museum of China, and the Dunhuang Academy to come up with a series of distinctively attired juanren with accessories that are fashioned after relics found at those institutions.

During the recent Spring Festival, Tang fashioned a gift package that features a local fairy guarding the Grand Canal wearing a dragon-like hat.

"We received more than 2,000 orders from companies and social organizations," she says. "It has often been the case at major holidays, especially Spring Festival."

Tang says she has a bigger dream that has yet to be realized: to make Tangrenfang a century-old brand that carries forward and innovates juanren culture.