Baijianren

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Baijianren, Male, Han, from Changzhou, Jiangsu, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Bamboo Carving (Ⅶ-46). The tradition is documented in Changzhou, Jiangsu. Within the regional tradition and school record of Bamboo Carving in Changzhou, Jiangsu: Since modern times, renowned masters of Changzhou liuqing bamboo carving have emerged in succession and fine works have appeared one after another, giving rise to two major schools represented by Xu Subai and Bai Shifeng. During the late Qing period, Changzhou liuqing bamboo carving (the technique of retaining the green skin) already stood at the forefront of the craft nationwide and enjoyed a unique reputation.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Baijianren is anchored in the documented technical standards of Bamboo Carving in Changzhou, Jiangsu. Within the documented technical tradition of Bamboo Carving in Changzhou, Jiangsu: Liuqing bamboo carving is a traditional folk craft of the Changzhou area of Jiangsu Province, with a long and deep-rooted history. Building on the art of earlier bamboo carvers, Xu Subai used his knife to reproduce the celebrated works of Shanghai painters and calligraphers, raising liuqing bamboo carving to an entirely new level. Bai Shifeng's works feature fluent knife work and fine, meticulous carving, with a plain, understated yet elegant style and abundant lingering charm. Changzhou liuqing bamboo carving products come in many types, including craft table screens, hanging screens, brush pots and armrests. The production process consists of four main steps — shaping, tracing the design, trimming the edge and scraping the base — and finishing a single fine piece often requires months of effort. The bamboo is fashioned into rectangular objects such as armrests, hanging screens and brush pots, then polished smooth; this is called 'shaping'. A painting or calligraphy design is traced, printed or drawn directly onto the bamboo surface; this is called 'tracing the design'. The edges of the bamboo are cut at various angles — vertical, slanted or curved; this is called 'trimming the edge'. The green skin is then shaved and scraped away; this is called 'scraping the base'. In calligraphy works, the base is scraped on one and the same plane: the stroke edges must flow smoothly, the green skin left on the base must be even and smooth, and the bamboo fibres must run straight. For painting works, by contrast, the scraping must be decided by the density, depth, void and solidity of the brushwork — whether to retain all, most, little or none of the bamboo green. Changzhou liuqing bamboo carving displays a refined aesthetic taste above the commonplace and can play a positive role in cultural exchange between China and the wider world. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Shaping, tracing, edging and clearing": The four main stages of Changzhou liuqing carving: shaping the bamboo, tracing the design, cutting the edges at varying angles, and clearing the green skin. "Clearing for calligraphy versus painting": Calligraphy is cleared on a single plane for smooth strokes and even retained skin, while painting varies how much skin is kept according to ink tone. "Xu Subai and the Shanghai painters": Xu Subai reproduced the works of Shanghai painters with the knife, lifting liuqing carving to a new level; his son Xu Bingfang became its leading modern master. "The Xu and Bai schools": Modern Changzhou liuqing carving produced two schools, headed by Xu Subai and Bai Shifeng, the latter known for fluent, finely cut, restrained work.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Baijianren was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Bamboo Carving, with Changzhou, Jiangsu as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Bamboo Carving in Changzhou, Jiangsu: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Changzhou, Jiangsu as its declared area, and Changzhou Cultural Center as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Baijianren (Changzhou, Jiangsu) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Baijianren · China ICH Official Archive