Xie Liang – Inheritor of Wooden Bowl-making Craft in Shangri-la County, Diqing
Profile of Xie Liang
Xie Liang(谢亮), male, Tibetan ethnicity, born in 1954 in Xingfu Qiaoshang Cuntou Village Group (幸福桥上村头村民小组), Nixi Township (尼西乡), Shangri-La City (香格里拉市), Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (迪庆藏族自治州), is a renowned master of traditional wooden bowl making.
Artistic Background
Trained by his father – a celebrated local artisan – from childhood, Xie mastered the complete bowl-making process from material preparation to final lacquering. While preserving traditional methods, he has innovated with new techniques to refine the craft.
Wooden Bowl Craftsmanship
With a millennium-old heritage tracing to Han artisans in Princess Wencheng’s retinue, Nixi Township (尼西乡)‘s bowl-making adapts Tibetan needs using local materials. The complex 20+ step process includes essential stages like:
- Ash scraping
- Lacquer application
Xie’s bowls are prized for their:
- Vibrant colors
- Intricate patterns
- Elegant forms
- Exceptional durability
Innovation and Inheritance
Beyond traditional bowls, Xie creates modern pieces including:
- Bracelets
- Snuff bottles
- Butter lamp stands
- Vases
Annually supplying nearly 30,000 woodcrafts to Tibet, his work has gained international recognition through Shangri-La (香格里拉) tourism development.
Honors and Impact
Official recognitions include:
- “Folk Artisan” title (2002 by Yunnan Cultural Department)
- Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor (Second batch)
- Provincial ICH Representative Project status for Shangri-La wooden bowls (2013)
Xie’s craftsmanship has both boosted local economies and advanced cultural preservation.
As a master artisan, Xie has achieved technical excellence while making outstanding contributions to sustaining and developing Nixi Township (尼西乡)‘s wooden bowl tradition as a cultural hallmark of Shangri-La (香格里拉).
For Chinese version please go to:
http://www.ynich.cn/view-ml-13111-2758.html
