(Source: CGTN)

International Labor Day is just around the corner. Today, we meet the hard-working, Li Fengying who learned how to weave bamboo at the age of 43 (when she was laid off.) Now she's one of the most (highly-regarded) folk artisans.

Flower baskets and plates... These fine, exquisite items are all made from bamboo. And the master artisan, Li Fengying, has been perfecting the craft for fifteen years...

"When I was 43-years' old, I got laid-off from my work. So I had to find something to do to provide for my family. Eventually I took up the skill, which has been passed down from my ancestors. And now it's become my career and my passion," Li said.

Li's skills are uncanny. She can divide a centimeter-wide bamboo into 42 parts and paint on them. She also redefined a complex procedure, which includes more than 20 steps, to make specialized bamboo products. She now owns two national patents.

And her name has reached far and wide. Her products are being sold to countries as far away as Singapore, the US and Canada.

"I made two identical bamboo paintings a few years ago. One was sold in Singapore for more than 160 thousand Yuan, the other collected by the Hubei Provincial Museum," Li said.

And although she's very proud in how she reinvented herself, she understands she had a lot of support...


"My work and skill have brought me a certain sense of accomplishment. I'm very happy. But there's a little regret that since I took it up, I haven't spent enough time with my grandson. I have to thank my family for their understanding and support. I couldn't have done it without them."