The increasing popularity of the annual Hobbycraft Expo shows that people are relishing the chance to get hands on and craft their own works of art, Zhang Kun reports. 

Despite the onset of a cold front that sent temperatures plunging down to near freezing, the reception for the last edition of the Shanghai International Hobbycraft Expo was the complete opposite.

According to the organizers, the event at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition& Convention Center in December attracted 300 companies, institutions and studios from 15 countries and regions, and on Dec 8 alone was attended by more than 78,000 people, nearly twice the amount of the inaugural edition in 2015.

This fast-growing popularity of the Hobbycraft Expo has made it one of the important cultural platforms recognized by the municipality, according to Yang Qinghong, director of the Shanghai Culture and Tourism Bureau's public culture department, who manages matters related to the conservation of intangible cultural heritage.

"Creating things with your own hands brings great joy and fulfillment," says Yang Wenxin, general manager of Shanghai YESBY.Me Information Technology Co, an organizer of the expo. "We are not only handicraft lovers, but also cultural inheritors."

From woodworking, leather smithing and glass sculpting to embroidery, pottery and print making, the fair showcased a comprehensive range of handicrafts through live demonstrations, interactive classes and lectures.

Events like the Hobbycraft Expo are important because they introduce traditional handicrafts and China's intangible cultural heritage to the wider public, says Zhang Lili, deputy professor with the Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts in Shanghai University.

Zhang has been the director of the Public Art Coordinating Center of the academy since 2015, when she started working to help promote handicrafts recognized as China's intangible cultural heritage. She was also one of the nominees for the "People of 2018" listing by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for her work on the conservation of China's intangible cultural heritage.

Zhang points out that such events are important because they help people to appreciate the differences in workmanship between handicrafts and machine-made products.

"Many things today can be bought at lower prices because of mass production. When you show people something that is made by hand, they often lament about how it's pricier than something similar that was made by a machine. They just don't realize how much time, effort and workmanship goes into making the product by hand," she says.

"When they understand the true value and how each piece is unique, I hope Chinese people will spend good money on handicrafts, just like they buy a Louis Vuitton or Prada handbag."