Young enthusiasts keep Tibetan crafts alive

Young Tibetans make traditional crafts at Qumalai Tibetan Craft Products Company in Qinghai province. The county government of Qumalai helps the workshop to hire experienced craftsmen to produce and pass on skills of making ornaments.[Photo by Wang Zhuangfei/ China Daily]

As an apprentice, he can now earn more than 2,000 yuan per month. His parents, who run a small retail shop in the county town, are very supportive of his decision because the training is free, he says.

"I hope I can open a workshop like my teacher has after I finish the training," says Tsering Tsongpoi.

"Very few people wanted to learn these crafts earlier. But there are more young people willing to study them now, because the government is very supportive and there is a huge market potential," says Ghama Tanzin, a 51-year-old craftsman who earns about 20,000 yuan per month teaching at the workshop.

"It's a good thing that they can both inherit the traditional craft and make a good living," says Ghama Tanzin.

According to company manager Sonang Tashi, thanks to the craftsmen and new techniques they have introduced, the quality and variety of his company's products have improved significantly. With the promotion of the local government, the products have found bigger markets, and are even sold in some faraway Tibetan regions now.

"Without government support, it's hard for craftsmen like me to expand the market alone," Sonang Tashi says.