Beijing Women's Federation

A craftswoman shows her work during the live stream.

The "Experience Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage with Smart Lady" series, jointly created by Beijing Women's Federation (BWF) and Guangming Daily, launched on March 3 a program on the theme "Beijing's Smart Lady — Love for the Winter Olympics."

Representatives of "Beijing's Smart Lady" title holders, including Zhang Lei, Qi Yuejing and Zhao Wei, who all participated in the special Spring Festival “temple fair” — held in the Great Hall of the People for foreign guests attending the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, were invited to appear on the show. The live show, promoted by the Facebook account of Guangming Daily, has helped global netizens explore Chinese traditional crafts demonstrated at the temple fair and learn more about Chinese culture.

Traditional Kites: Olympic Dream Flying High

Zhang Lei, an inheritor of Cao’s kite making craft

Zhang Lei, the fourth-generation inheritor of Cao’s kite making craft, an art form on the list of Beijing municipal intangible cultural heritage, displayed three traditional kites customized for the special “temple fair,” and named them All Flowers in Bloom, A Fish Leaping Over the Dragon Gate and Good Luck and Long Life to express good blessings.

At the fair, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, was attracted by the beautiful hand-made kites. He asked Zhang about how they were made and tried to fly one of them.

Hand-made Knots: Embodying Friendship

Qi Yuejing, an inheritor of Chinese knot weaving

Chinese knot weaving has been included in Beijing’s municipal intangible cultural heritage projects. Qi Yuejing, an inheritor of knot weaving, utilized the three-dimensional weaving skill and integrated the elements of Beijing 2022 into traditional handicrafts, and finally brought out the sports pictograms of the Beijing Winter Olympics after more than 40,000 procedures. The knots, which took Qi and her teammates two months, embody the features of winter sports — discipline and the pursuit of excellence. For the special “temple fair,” Qi tailored Chinese knots that combine the colors of Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games mascot Bing Dwen Dwen and Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games mascot Shuey Rhon Rhon, and presented them to foreign guests.

During the fair, Qi gave Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco, two knots featuring ice flowers and butterflies for his twin babies, and Qi wished them good luck and fortune.

Painted Eggs and New Year Paintings: Extending Good Wishes

Zhao Wei, an inheritor of New Year painting and egg painting craft

Zhao Wei, a folk art master and an inheritor of New Year paintings, displayed Yangliuqing woodblock prints named Bamboo Announcing that All is Well, Years of Brimful Happiness, and Longevity, Fortune and Prosperity at the “temple fair.” She hoped the distinguished guests would feel the hospitality of the Chinese people and their yearning for a better life.

Zhao, who is also an inheritor of egg painting, an art form on the list of Beijing municipal intangible cultural heritage, demonstrated the use of Chinese seals and red ink pastes for International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, and the IOC president tried stamping a bookmark with a Chinese seal and kept it as a souvenir.

"Is it not a delight after all to have friends come from afar! We welcome foreign friends to the Beijing 2022 and hope that they will bring back splendid and time-honored traditional Chinese culture," Zhao said.

Through the live stream, the Beijing Smart Ladies displayed traditional handicrafts that are listed among China's intangible cultural heritage, and skillfully added elements of the winter Olympics to their handicraft works, vividly unfolding the profound heritage of traditional Chinese culture and openness and inclusiveness in new era. The program received a warm response from netizens around the world. The live broadcast has been viewed more than 230,000 times worldwide.

The live stream series centered on Beijing women is a window to the outside world which gives a multi-dimensional perspective to learn the progress of women and children's development in the capital, and will further enhance understanding and friendship between Chinese women and women from all over the world.