Li Huiping tries to bring back the traditional crafts of printing with a modern touch. (Photo/Chinanews.com)
The arts of printing and papermaking make up half of China's "Four Great Inventions" -- discoveries that are celebrated as major breakthroughs in the country's history, and symbols of ancient China's achievements. But in the hustle and bustle of modern life, they are a far-off memory for many.
Li Huiping in southwest China's Chengdu city decided to make her own efforts to bring back the traditional crafts --with a modern touch.
Li's mission was inspired by her uncle, who ran a hand-made dry noodle business. He wrapped the noodles in retro-looking paper he printed at home.
"I always remember as a kid that my uncle made hundreds of wrapping papers by hand for dry noodles," recalled Li.
Although her uncle's handmade craft was relatively rough, it remained a clear memory in the mind of Li. The sweet smell of the ink inspired her to start a journey to bring back the ancient methods of papermaking and printing.
As most letter characters necessary for ancient printing techniques have now been thrown away, it was a time-consuming process for Li to find brand new characters.
But Li is now able to form a complete sentence with the characters she tracked down in east China's Zhejiang Province.
"It really takes time to sort out characters, especially for a smaller size," said Li.
Now Li's son, who's attending elementary school, tries out composing and printing on his own.
In the modern world, where 3D printing is no longer a rarity, such traditions still matter. By passing them down, generation to generation, history and culture can be preserved.
