Xie makes exquisite handicrafts by weaving bamboo, such as a miniature version of the orbiting Tiangong space station. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"Creative and appealing handicrafts are paramount in modern times. For example, youngsters are more likely to be interested in a mobile phone case made of bamboo strips, rather than a traditional basket."

He says that some old items are destined to be obsolete, but craftspeople can change the designs to create art. He often creates novel handicrafts as well. He's now working on a bamboo miniature of China's third aircraft carrier, the CNS Fujian.

At his studio in Wuyi Mountain scenic area, visitors can learn how to make earrings, bracelets, or bags from bamboo, as well as buy some innovative handicrafts.

Xie studied crafts and fine arts at a local occupational middle school and learned bamboo carving for more than a year after graduating in 2003.

"I found that bamboo weaving is all-embracing, meaning that, with an infinite imagination, you can make anything. So, I decided to study this handicraft," he says.

In 2006, he started to learn bamboo weaving from a senior master living in a remote area of Sichuan province. As his parents didn't support him, he packed a case and ran away from home, taking a train on his first long-distance journey.

"I dared not contact my parents during festivals. I was depressed in what to me was a strange place, and urged myself to study hard," he recalls.

He got up at 6 am and went to sleep at midnight and rarely had a break before finishing his one-year apprenticeship.

After years of hard work, in February, Xie fulfilled his wish, getting bamboo weaving of Wuyi Mountain recognized as a provincial intangible cultural heritage — first, he had to apply to the county and then city-level authorities, based on his achievement and influence in the field.

He wants to revive the bamboo weaving of Wuyi Mountain and the region's fame as "the home of bamboo". He believes that such a title can better promote the craft.

"The great reputation of Wuyi Mountain's tea overshadows its bamboo weaving tradition, which used to be popular when I was a child. As the tea industry began to thrive, some craftspeople changed their career," he says.

He recalls that the local bamboo weaving products used to be exported abroad, especially to Japan and South Korea. Back then, many articles of everyday use were made from bamboo. These have now mostly been replaced by plastic.

Every year, he joins activities and contests to communicate with other bamboo weavers from across the country, including his master, to pool ideas and information to promote the art form.

Like other inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, Xie finds that it's not easy to pass on the craft, but he's trying his best.

"You have to endure lots of hardship before achieving success. As an apprentice, it takes one or two years before you can make money. You may be tempted to change career to make quick cash," he says.

He teaches those with physical challenges free of charge. As well as online classes, he also teaches optional courses at the local Wuyi University to cultivate student interest in the craftsmanship.