Liu Li arranges her handiworks at store. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

During the Dragon Boat Festival holiday in Hai'an, Nantong, the streets are filled with both the aroma of zongzi and colorful Chinese knots crafted by Liu Li, a fourth-generation practitioner of the Liu Family's Chinese knot.

This year, the Nantong Chinese knot (Hai'an Chinese knot) was included in the sixth batch of Nantong's municipal intangible cultural heritage items.

For practitioners of intangible cultural heritage, every thread and strand are the culminations of artistry passed down through generations. However, preservation does not mean stagnation.

Liu found the limitations of the traditional bright red Chinese knots: monotonous colors, large sizes, and limited applications. "My great-grandmother supported an entire family with Chinese knots, my grandmother expanded the market with big red butterfly knots, and now I want to let the old craft tell new stories," she said.

Therefore, Liu transformed the coarse ropes commonly used in weaving large Chinese knots into finer strands. From three strands, six strands to nine strands, the interweaving of different numbers of threads presents a rich texture that is either gentle or firm.

She strives to find a balance between tradition and modernity by creating works in the shapes of items like zongzi and small persimmons. Chinese knots are no longer confined to traditional large red ornaments but have evolved into delicate necklaces, bracelets, and car decorations that are more suitable for modern life.

In the eyes of her loyal customers, Liu's works, from car decorations and bag ornaments to jewelry packaging, combine the majesty of traditional knots along with the agility of modern design.

"This year, I plan to establish physical workshops, allowing young people to personally experience the art of knotting," she noted.

Liu understands that the key to the inheritance and development of a traditional craft lies in nurturing a new generation of artists.

Hence, she actively promotes the craft. In her online live streaming room, 40,000 fans witness the creation of Chinese knots; offline, she leads a team of women in Hai'an to weave together, enabling Hai'an Chinese knots to be exported to other countries.