Foreign Students Visit Young Chinese Master for This!

Source: JobTube, Arianna,, Josh B., Freya W.,

On October 15th, a video about a group of foreign students visiting a young man named Lang Jiaziyu in Beijing, became a viral hit on China's internet, and inspired netizens to learn more.

Learn to do? Do to learn!

Lang Jiaziyu, born in Sichuan in 1995, was the third-generation inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage called "dough modeling of Beijing". At present, he is still a graduate student at Peking University. The foreign apprentices in the video were all his friends, who were currently studying in China and showed high interests in Chinese traditional culture. Seeing this, Lang invited them to come to his home and explained his exhibits in detail, as he wanted to share the understanding of this art-form.

To help his foreign friends experience it, Lang helped them to learn about dough modelling by making handicrafts. 

As it was their first time to have the hands-on experience on it, Lang picked a panda as the model as it could best represent China and was relatively easy to finish. With everything well explained by Lang, his apprentices completed their own unique works with great sense of achievements.

Impart and inherit

Dough figurines, are simple but highly artistic type of folk arts and crafts in China, which has existed as early as the Han Dynasty. Lang has been indulged with dough modeling for more than 20 years, since he was three years old. In the beginning, he learned some simple tricks from his father. From the age of five, he began to learn how to make characters systematically. 

For Lang, the reason why he has been so keen on kneading all kinds of dough figurines, was to have his work be appreciated, and to help the tradition to live on by piquing the interests of others.

"When 100 people see a thing, probably 10 of them will like it, and only two of them could eventually be good at it. As for now, first I need to expand my influence so to make the art accessible to more people, then I can build connections with them and I will teach them the art. "Lang said.

\n