A tradition as light as a feather

Xiao Yumei, a third-generation inheritor of diancui, has weathered some tough days since February, when modernity seems to have clashed with tradition.

That month, the white-throated kingfisher, one of the kingfisher types used for the craft, was added to the list of wildlife under special State protection.

Xiao, who began studying the skill in 2014 from her father, Xiao Guangchun, an intangible cultural heritage inheritor for the art in Beijing, was in a bind.

"It's not a skill that can be mastered with adroitness in a short period of time," says Xiao Yumei.

"The arrangement, pasting and placing of the feathers require endless practice, sometimes involving hundreds of attempts."

At the same time, she says, aesthetically, the ornaments need be equivalent in appearance and texture to the original color of the bird's feathers.

"The countless matching of feathers, guaranteeing that they stay on the small parts of the golden accessories firmly and smoothly, requires peace of mind," says the 42-year-old.