02 — Voices
During my research on Box Lantern in my hometown, Cangzhou, I was saddened to learn that most of the artisans are old and few young people are learning the craft, making the art on the edge of fading away. What is being lost is not just a technique, but a way of seeing, making, and remembering.
I then initiated an oral history project to record the stories of the artisans. Through the stories, you will learn about the production skills of the craft, the memories embedded in the art, and the personal connections that sustain this tradition. By listening, we are not just observing a cultural practice — we are witnessing a living heritage at a turning point in time.
Interview 01
An Hongyuan · 安洪元
Age 44 · Zhaomaotao Village · Current Village Head · Former Box Lantern Maker
"The Box Lantern needs no celebrity to speak for it."
Interview 02
Sun Shuhe · 孙树何
Age 53 · Zhaomaotao Village · Gunpowder Formulator, Box Lantern Team
"Watching the Box Lantern is good for the body and the soul."
Interview 03
Sun Jiufeng · 孙九丰
Age 77 · Zhaomaotao Village · Eldest Master Craftsman of the Box Lantern Team
"On the path of making and promoting the Box Lantern, we have always found our own way to survive."
Interview 04
Sun Pengxiao · 孙鹏霄
Age 41 · Zhaomaotao Village · 6th-Generation Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor · Lead Coordinator of the Box Lantern Team
"There are those who master the craft, and those who keep it alive."
Interview 05
Liang Chenxi · 梁晨希
Age 38 · Xiaoshan Zhangpi Village · Part-time Paper Mounting Artisan · Wife of 6th-Generation Inheritor Sun Pengxiao
"Many women know nothing about the Box Lantern — and even fewer are willing to make it."