Nobody ever imagined that after being lost for more than half a century, the intangible cultural heritage known as Gaolou Mixian would be restored and passed down by a young man. "As someone of Gaolou origin, I have a responsibility to restore our ancestors' art form," said Chen Guorui, the world's only inheritor of this ancient art.
Gaolou Mixian uses rice paste (米糊) to glue together selected grains of transparent rice to create realistic figures or structures. It is a unique folk art that developed during the Qing Dynasty and reached its peak during the first half of the 20th century. Each household in Gaolou village would make rice structures that they put on display in their ancestral halls during the Chinese New Year, which attracted people from all sides.
However, due to the wet weather in southern China, these rice-made artworks would only last three to four months before losing their shape. It is for this reason that these works are not seen in museums in China. Due to various historical reasons, most people in Gaolou village did not pass down the art form, which caused it to disappear nearly 70 years ago.
Chen found out about this after hearing one former resident express disappointment about its loss. Curious, he started to do research and tried out the methods he heard about from older people in the village. After several months of exploration, Chen finally completed his first successful work.
Over the past five years, Chen has gradually improved his skills and even begun using new techniques, such as creating some colorful artworks with colored grains of rice. Since 2017, people at home and abroad have taken an interest in this long-lost art form. To avoid being the last inheritor (传承者), Chen has been giving classes to some students at a primary school in Fuzhou with the support of local education authorities.
