In an obscure corner, a street of folk art appears a little incongruously amid the many book stands of the 23rd Beijing International Book Fair, which runs from August 24 to 28.

Peking Pinwheel

Crunch, crunch, crunch... a continuous stream of sound appeals to you to take a look. Where is this mysterious sound coming from?

Just take a peek, and you will find a man in his forties carefully assembling a pinwheel.

His name is Wang Kexue, a fifth-generation successor of a traditional Chinese art - Peking pinwheel.

"I have been learning the art of Peking pinwheel since I was a child. My grandpa often told me that our family has lived off the art since the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). At that time, my ancestors would sell the handicraft products at Changdian Temple Fair, a place filled with literary and artistic atmosphere," Wang said.

"The preparations in making a pinwheel are usually divided into two parts with over 30 procedures: wheel and frame. And every procedure requires strong powers of concentration. In the past, my family usually chose processed paper as the raw material for making a pinwheel. As the technology advanced with each passing day, we currently prefer a material called 'Juan' in Chinese, a thin and tough silk which can be preserved forever," Wang added.

Traditional Chinese pinwheel making has a long history which can be dated back to more than 3,000 years ago. Traditionally, a pinwheel is often painted with three colors, namely, red, green and yellow.

Red represents the sky while the green represents the land. Yellow is the symbol of the offspring of Huangdi and Yandi, who are regarded as the common ancestors of all Chinese. Meanwhile, when a person spins the pinwheels, he is praying for the good fortune of his family.

Lord Rabbit

Lord Rabbit, a mythical bunny sent down from the moon to bring good health to Beijing, is making a triumphant comeback as the Mid-autumn Festival is around the corner.

"In the deep heart of every old Beijinger, there is a special place for the Lord Rabbit," Zhang Zhongqiang, a fifth-generation successor of Mud Painted Sculpture of Lord Rabbit, said.

"As an intangible cultural heritage protection item in Beijing, I try to integrate the traditional art with modern elements by utilizing different materials and shaping new images for the Lord Rabbit," Zhang said. "

Many international friends will come to the book fair these few days and I hope it can be a golden opportunity for foreigners to know Beijing culture, and Lord Rabbit in particular," Zhang added.

According to the legend, Lord Rabbit, also known as Jade Rabbit, was sent down by the goddess of the moon, Chang'e, to help Beijing survive a deadly plague more than 500 years ago.

Straw Making

Take a careful look at these insects. Do you hear the chirping of crickets or cicadas?

Believe it or not, all these insects are made out of palm fronds, reeds and other similar materials.

Straw making is an old folk art form of the Manchu nationality that was handed down from generation to generation.

Yu Yong, descendant of Aisin Gioro, is the person who creates them. He learned the skill from his masters. In today's China, few people can master the skill very well.

"My father has devoted himself to straw making for more than 70 years. Old as my father he is, he is still skilled at straw making. My father made a documentary for himself and the art at the age of 65," Yu said.

"My father hopes to pass the art from generation to generation and I am the third-generation successor of the art. I have taken some people already as my apprentices to promote the art," said Yu.

"Monkey King, monkey king, help me! I am tricked by the cunning female monster," Pig shouted for help.

This is a familiar scene Monkey Subdues White-Skeleton Demon from the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West. However, it is expressed neither in writing, nor in a TV series, but in shadow play.

Known as the "magic of the East" among Europeans, Chinese shadow play is a kind of drama in which silhouettes made of hard paper and hide are projected onto a white screen.

The performer manipulates the characters behind the screen while singing the libretto to tell the story. The story-telling is accompanied by music.

"The making of a shadow play character usually consists of four steps: designing, engraving, painting and assembling," said Li Hongming, a worker from Beijing Shadow Show Troupe."

"Facing the huge competition from modern audio-visual media such as television and movies, many shadow play groups have been disbanded, and many of the talented artists have died. However, as the national-level intangible cultural heritage, shadow play is now in a disadvantageous position. In the future, we will pay visits to many places including hotels, schools, squares and embassies to make people, the young in particular, realize the charm and essence of shadow play," Yi suggested.

Chinese shadow play, which came into being during the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220) in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, spread to South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia and North Africa in the 13th century, and to Europe in the 17th century.

Copper-plate Engraving

"What is this, mom?" a visiting girl curiously asked.

"I don't know, either, maybe you should ask the artist sitting there," the girl's mother suggested.

"It is called copper-plate engraving, a folk art with a history of more than 3,000 years," Hai Jun said, founder of Folk Copper-plate Engraving Workshop.

Copper etching is a selective removal process used to create images on a copper plate. Most etching processes require a plate covered in a nonreactive material that is then selectively removed. The plate is exposed to a corrosive that removes small amounts of copper while leaving the protected areas alone.

"In the past, it was done with wax and different acids while modern copper etching generally uses less toxic materials such as ferric chloride instead of acid and sodium carbonate to remove it. Modern etching is used for everything from artistic expression to creating ink prints to laying pathways on circuit boards," said Hai.

"Delicate as they are, it requires too much time and energy to make one. Due to the advancement of modern technology, many insiders have abandoned the traditional hand-made way and resort to industrialized production. However, there is a great difference in the quality of the product of the two processes, " Hai added.

In recent years, Beijing municipal government has striven to promote the protection of intangible cultural heritage. According to the announcement of Beijing Cultural Bureau, the establishment of related laws will be put on the agenda in the near future. Also, an intangible culture center will be set up in Tongzhou district accordingly.

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