Tradition inheritor longs for someone to take up the tools and follow in his footsteps, Zhang Yu reports in Shijiazhuang.

Craftsman Zhao Runsheng examines an article made with sorghum stalks in his studio in Jingxing mining area of Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, on Aug 30. (GU BINJIE / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Sorghum stalks are used either as fodder, fertilizer or firewood in China's northern rural areas. But in the eyes of artisans, they are precious raw materials for making delicate handicrafts.

As you walk into the studio of Zhao Runsheng, your eyes are filled with all kinds of objects made with sorghum stalks, some placed side by side on his sofa and a nearby desk, while others hang on the wall.

Leaning against the wall in a corner are bundles of sorghum stalks of three colors — dark red, light red and yellowish white — in differing length and thickness.

Beside them sits the main stage in theater of creativity — a desk, covered by a red cloth upon which lies an uncompleted artwork, together with some stalks, a palette knife and a graver.

Zhao in the process of preparing sorghum stalks to make an article. (GU BINJIE / CHEN FENG / FOR CHINA DAILY)

On a normal day, Zhao would sit at the desk and conjure up exquisite handicrafts by whittling, weaving, cutting or engraving the stalks.

The 54-year-old man is currently the only inheritor of this technique — a provincial intangible cultural heritage in Jingxing mining area of Shijiazhuang, the capital city of Hebei province in North China. It was added to the provincial intangible cultural heritage list in 2007.

Outside Zhao's studio is a room where he rests and eats when he makes time away from being surrounded by stalks.

Zhao's artistic works cover a wide range of subjects, including buildings, animals and objects like lanterns. Some standout examples of his work are an imposing and intricate model of a three-story building in the style of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and a small, delicate and exquisite grasshopper cage.

The works are mainly sold at various exhibitions around the country, or to customers who visit him after learning about his handicraft.

A dragon, all made with sorghum stalks by Zhao Runsheng in Jingxing mining area of Shijiazhuang, Hebei province. (GU BINJIE / ZHANG TENGFEI / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Zhao had been creating stalk works as a hobby for almost two decades, before starting to dedicate himself totally to preserving and perfecting the craft in 2010.

"I sensed that the traditional handicraft might be lost forever if nobody decided to adopt it as a lifelong career," Zhao says.

Wang Li, head of the Cultural Center of Jingxing Mining Area, says that the folk custom of creating handicrafts with sorghum stalks can be traced back to the late Qing Dynasty.

Stalk items are completely handmade, and often feature specific regional characteristics.

"It has been passed down for the past century," Wang says. However, he adds, there are fewer young people interested in learning the skills and taking up the baton nowadays.

"It requires a person to concentrate their mind on studying the techniques and work with the stalks all day long," Zhao says. "It must be someone who really enjoys the craft, otherwise they won't stick with it."

A turret of the Palace Museum, all made with sorghum stalks by Zhao Runsheng in Jingxing mining area of Shijiazhuang, Hebei province. (GU BINJIE / ZHANG TENGFEI / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Zhao was able to maintain his interest in the craft, thanks to his instructor Xu Yaode.

Xu, who passed away in 2012 at the age of 85, is the region's most outstanding inheritor of the craft techniques.

From childhood until the end of his life, Xu made objects using sorghum stalks, some of which became highly valued.

"My instructor liked weaving small objects out of the stalks when he was a child and then started learning the skills systematically from some elder craftsmen," Zhao says.

Zhao recalls that his teacher once said he made a red lantern with sorghum stalks to celebrate China's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

One of Xu's representative artworks is named Bailongbi (Wall With Chinese Dragons).

A pavilion of the Summer Palace in Beijing, all made with sorghum stalks by Zhao Runsheng in Jingxing mining area of Shijiazhuang, Hebei province. (GU BINJIE / ZHANG TENGFEI / FOR CHINA DAILY)

The masterpiece is 9 meters long and 3 meters high, which has 99 flying dragons, each wearing a different expression and taking a different form.

To make them, more than 300,000 pieces of sorghum stalk were applied over more than 1 million steps. "That was the hardest work I've ever participated in creating," Zhao says, adding that his instructor, together with 12 students, one of whom was Zhao, took a year to complete it.

"The techniques required to make complicated structures with the stalks fascinated him. It seemed that he had a bond with the sorghum stalks," Zhao says.

Making the delicate stalk handicrafts is truly demanding, requiring a lot of skill, patience and effort. "From picking suitable stalks from bundles to making grooves in the stalks to attaching them to one another, every step needs not only some architectural knowledge, but also extreme care," Zhao says.

"If the grooves are not made at the right angle, the stalks will not grip each other firmly enough."

Zhao in the process of preparing sorghum stalks to make an article. (GU BINJIE / CHEN FENG / FOR CHINA DAILY)

In Zhao's eyes, it's like modern toys consisting of plastic or wooden bricks and other components for children to build things with. "Though demanding, building with the stalks makes me feel like I am playing sometimes," he says.

According to Zhao, all the articles are composed of numerous mortise and tenon joints that fit together.

To ensure the best quality materials, Zhao plants his own sorghum on over 400 square meters of land in a village near his home.

"The sorghum I grow is a hybrid I discovered from my research, which yields thin but harder stalks that are perfect for me to work with," Zhao says.

Zhao is pretty proud of the quality of his stalks. "The sorghum stalk has a particularly hard skin. It's very durable and stable after it has been dried and treated," he says.

"In our mining area, the older generations always built the roofs of their houses with them. After long exposure to a dry environment, the roofs would be stronger and more durable."

Zhao learns the skills from his instructor Xu Yaode in 2008. (GU BINJIE / CHEN FENG / FOR CHINA DAILY)

Xu had more than 20 students, but after all these years, Zhao has become the only one in the area still practicing the craft.

Although currently alone in doing so, Zhao still hopes to nurture young people to carry on his legacy. He often goes to local schools to teach pupils to make simple structures with stalks, in an attempt to spark their interest.

"I hope there will be young people who fall in love with it in the future and join me to help pass on the craft," Zhao says.

Contact the writer at zhangyu1@chinadaily.com.cn