With a history of more than 1，000 years in China，the oil﹣paper umbrella used to be a tool to keep out the rain for the Chinese. It's so named because the umbrella's surface is made of paper brushed with tung oil（桐油）.
Although the oil﹣paper umbrella is now no longer commonly used for rainy days，it has never disappeared from people's lives. For example，it is still a symbol of romance in many places. For the Yao people living in the southwest China，an oil﹣paper umbrella plays an important role during a marriage proposal（求婚）. When a Yao man's relative visits a Yao woman's family to propose marriage，the relative will bring a red oil﹣paper umbrella. If the woman accepts the proposal，she will take the umbrella and hang 12 small cloth bags on the umbrella's ribs（伞架）. Then the relative will return the umbrella to the man to tell the good news.
The oil﹣paper umbrella made in Fenshui，a town in Luzhou，Sichuan Province is world﹣famous. To make the umbrella，a craftsperson must complete more than 70 steps. It takes about half a month to make an oil﹣paper. The umbrella is both beautiful and durable（耐用的）. It can be opened and closed at least 3，000 times. Its surface won't divide from ribs even if the umbrella is put in water for 24 hour.
Bi Liufu，a native of Fenshuiling，another town in Luzhou，has been creating oil﹣paper umbrellas for more than 40 years. He has won many prizes in national and international craft competitions. For Bi，making umbrellas is a lifelong goal rather than a way to make a living.
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