Tang Tian'ai, a 16-year-old Jiangsu girl, was impressed by the delicate lacquer ware showcased in Hubei Week at the Baosteel Stage of the 2010 Shanghai Expo.

“Were it not for the Expo, I would never have thought of there being so many different fantastic handicrafts from Hubei,”Tang said.

Hubei is showcasing its cultural splendor at the Expo with the unveiling of Hubei week in July 18, at the Baosteel Stage. It is showcasing twelve types of country and province grade heritage crafts, including embroidery, lacquer ware, weaving, lead and tin art and leather work.

Kids growing up in cities, like Tang Tian'ai, rarely have opportunities to be exposed to traditional folk handicrafts. At the Baosteel State a folk craftsman's adapt skills allowed Tang Tian’ai to broaden her horizons. She saw that one pair of chopsticks takes over one hundred steps to finish; the elderly traditional craftsmen recreated ancient bronze ware right in front of her eyes for her to see; they carved various ‘shadow people’ on cow leather using dozens of different knives. It was clear the folk arts were refined, creative and unique.

After this show, Tang was inspired to collect folk handicrafts from every province, and then tour around China. She said, we all have the responsibility to protect folk handicrafts and pass them on.