During a recent New Year's Eve cultural event, Pan Yucheng, a Gen-Z docent from the China Wooden Movable-type Printing Exhibition Hall in Ruian city, east China's Zhejiang Province, showcased a university admission letter and an ancient marriage certificate - cultural and creative products made by his team based on wooden movable-type printing.

Photo shows ancient marriage certificates made by Pan Yucheng's team based on wooden movable-type printing. (Wenzhou Evening News/courtesy of the interviewee)

In 2008, wooden movable-type printing was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage. Two years later, China's wooden movable-type printing was recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization as in need of urgent safeguarding on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Despite these recognitions, public awareness of the craft remained low.

Driven by an urgent desire to preserve this intangible cultural heritage, Pan's father became the curator of the China Wooden Movable-type Printing Exhibition Hall, which is located in Dongyuan village of Ruian city, in 2019. Under his father's influence, Pan, then a university student in Ningbo city of Zhejiang, began learning the craft and developed a deep interest in it.

After interacting with several inheritors of the craft, Pan realized that this intangible cultural heritage remained lesser known to the public largely due to a lack of publicity. As a native of Ruian, he felt that his calling was to promote the ancient craft. After he graduated from university, he immediately returned home to devote himself to the promotion of the craft.

Pan studied systematically the history and cultural value of the craft under Wu Xiaohuai, director of the Ruian Wooden Movable-type Printing Culture Research Institute. He also apprenticed under Wu Kuizhao, a provincial-level inheritor of the craft.

Pan Yucheng (left) instructs a child to experience wooden movable-type printing. (Wenzhou Evening News/courtesy of the interviewee)

Wooden movable-type printing involves complex processes including writing, carving, character selection, and printing, Pan said, adding that mastering the craft requires at least a decade of dedication.

"I want to bring wooden movable-type printing from textbooks into people's daily lives," Pan said.

Pan's team organizes study tours and activities to promote this intangible cultural heritage to more people. The team also develops cultural and creative products themed on wooden movable-type printing by gathering craftsmen in Dongyuan village, providing more application scenarios for the craft.

Thanks to the team's efforts, the China Wooden Movable-type Printing Exhibition Hall has attracted visitors nationwide. Since 2020, Wenzhou University has used the ancient craft to print admission letters. In addition, ancient marriage certificates designed by the team have become popular among young couples for their novelty and rich cultural significance.

Pan plans to open accounts on more new media platforms to tell the history of wooden movable-type printing and share stories about inheritors of the craft, while helping local craftsmen generate more income.