In Zhejiang, a coastal province in east China, the rainy season usually falls in June. This year, before the expected rain ushered in the summer, Zhejiang's capital Hangzhou welcomed their African guests. The eight Africans, from Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, spent six weeks with the Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center, learning bamboo braiding.

This is the second training program provided to African artisans. In 2013, it successfully held an embroidery training class for the artisans from Botswana. Zhejiang Province boasts the best bamboo in China, where the art of bamboo braiding has a long history. People use bamboo for almost everything in their life, from bed sheets to lampshades, these can all be made from the famous plant which Pandas love to eat.

Before coming to China, all the artisans were engaged in the bamboo industry in their own countries, mainly in furniture making. Some of them have their own business, while others work for small studios or big companies. All of them are the best at the practiced trade in their own country. For example, the two Zimbabwean women were very adept at making bamboo baskets and lampshades. Their works are sold throughout the country and exported to other African countries, especially to South Africa.

Although both China and Zimbabwe produce bamboo products, they said, China is home to more diversified techniques. Through the training course, they have acquired a lot of new techniques.

According to Huang Yun, Director at the Department of Communication and Exchange, Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center, all of them are superior in their skills and are selected on English competency or learning competency so that they can pass on the skills they learned here to more African artisans when they go back to Ethiopian and Zimbabwe.

Bamboo cooperation 

The cooperation over bamboo products between China and African countries has a long history. The China Bamboo Research Center has carried out its aid program to Africa since 1993. The consistent exchange over the past two decades has developed various cooperation channels, including Chinese experts going to Africa and Africans coming to learn in China. The end of 2013 also witnessed a milestone event: the first Chinese bamboo industrial factory in Ghana was founded.

As an important form of cooperation, training programs have been playing a significant role and the teaching patterns have matured over the past years. "The program includes everyday classes delivered by local teachers," Huang said. All the teachers, fully experienced, come from the local arts and crafts research institute. "And we also took the African students to the local market of bamboo products as a field study."

According to Huang, the bamboo used in class was purposely selected for its similarity to the variety grown in Africa so that students can practically bring what they learn here to their own people and local bamboo industry. Practicability, Huang said, was key when they planned for the teaching content. In addition to design and innovation, they hope to focus on the bamboo products that can be commercialized, she said. Meanwhile, they compiled an English textbook to help the African artisans train their own people.

When the course was coming to an end, there was a workshop for what has been achieved by the African students and their Chinese teacher. The pressure from the workshop became a motivational force for Africans to study harder, Huang said.

Learn Chinese culture

In addition to bamboo braiding, the cultural center also wanted to provide their African guests with a fuller life. For example, the students were invited to visit a local arts and crafts training center for local citizens, where they met the famous heritor of the silk umbrella-making technique, a national intangible cultural heritage, and learned the skill by trying to making their own silk umbrella. Some also learned traditional scissor-cut and Chinese embroidery.

Lessons on basic vocational knowledge were also part of the program. Those who had little computer competency before coming to China learned how to use PowerPoint. Some simple Chinese phrases and sentences were also taught to make their stay in China easier and more productive.

On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival (June 2, this year), one of the most important festivals in China with a tradition of eating zongzi (rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves), a competition of making zongzi was held among the African students. Everyone enjoyed it and felt a real sense of being part of a cultural Chinese festival.

"Such activities are important as a bridge of understanding and communication between the two sides. I hope the African artisans, when learning bamboo braiding, can also learn more about China's traditional culture as well," Huang said, citing a story about how a scissor-cut practice helped the Africans recognize the shape of Chinese map in amusement. "I hope they will learn more about China and like China. This kind of exchange is also important."