Many overseas students choose to learn Chinese in China because they like Chinese culture. If that is right, they must like some exquisite handiworks. In the following parts, I will introduce you a special handicraft which is very popular in Kunming.
In the whole China, people seldom make the bird cages as a job and a way to earn money. However, the villagers of Sanzhuangcun Village in Jinning County of Kunming are all devoted to making bird cages by hand. Learners who study Chinese in Kunming may be greatly interested by this new.
When you step into the village, you will find it is very quiet and it is almost no people in the street because they are all doing their own job in their houses. But you will meet Zhang Shuguo, the chairman of the Jincheng Wood and Bamboo Association, a person those who learn Mandarin in Yunnan should know. He will lead you to enjoy the feast of all kinds of elegant bird cages.
When you go into the residential houses, you will see various bamboo carving bird cages besides the desk in the not so big rooms. You may hear there are many customers calling Mr. Zhang for booking a new bird cage now and then. Students who learn Chinese may wonder where and who do they sell them to. According to Mr. Zhang, they sold them to the Jinxing Bird and Flower Market in Kunming at the very beginning. Now, their cages are sold in Mengzi, Gejiu, Pu’er, Dali and even Guangdong and Fujian provinces. Some buyers even come for it personally.
Mentioned the handicrafts in Kunming, the foreigners who want to learn Mandarin Chinese in Kunming should know the Wood and Bamboo Association, which was established in the year of 2006. As the president of the association, Mr. Zhang takes the responsibility of all selling works of the bird cages. After finishing the cages, the villagers just send them to Zhang’s house and wait for money.
He said that the selling way is retailing because they make cages by hand and has less production. According to him, each cage is about two hundred Yuan, so it is six thousand Yuan a month. In one-year time, each household will gain 70 thousand Yuan annually. So it seems the whole 64 family will create the income of almost five million Yuan just by making bird cages. This must be a surprise for all of us, especially the foreigners who in Chinese learning programs in Yunnan.
The price we just talked about is just for the ordinary cages. For the well-made and carefully carved ones, the price of a single one can be more than ten thousand Yuan. If the students who study Mandarin Chinese want to know why a little bird cage is worthy of so much money, they should know something about another person Yang Chun.
Yang Chun, can be called a celebrity in this village. Among so many people earn money by making cages, he is the one can make the cage with the highest price. In the earlier years, even Zhang Shuguo regarded him as his teacher to learn the skills of building bird cages.
When Yang was young, he learned to make cages from his father just because of great curiosity. As time goes on, he became more and more skilled. When his buddies know the cage can sell for money, they came learn from him. If you are curious about something when you study in China, you can continue to learn it and maybe you will make big progress on that.
How the ordinary bamboo can be made into a delicate handicraft after some hand work by the villagers. You may not believe that if you don’t see it with your eyes. To see is to believe, so if you are in the one-on-one Chinese learning programs in Kunming, it is convenient for you to see it with your own eyes.
Handicrafts are being made everywhere in China, seldom people show interest in making bird cages except for those in Kunming. If you often learn Chinese online free, you will see much news and information about this. After knowing more about it, you will see it will take a very long time to prepare the materials and the process needs much energy and meticulousness.
In Yunnan, just like keeping cats or dogs as pets, it is popular to keep birds, so the bird cages are needed. Many raise them for accompany and some keep to earn money by bird-fighting games. If you are interested in this, you can learn more by reading more relevant information.