Nixi Wooden Bowls

Nixi Wooden Bowls

　　The Shangqiaotou villager group in Diqing Prefecture has long been renowned for its wooden bowl production, a craft with a history dating back over 200 years. It is said that historically, many famous wooden bowl craftsmen emerged here, attracting artisans from other regions to come and learn the trade. Today, this traditional craftsmanship has been preserved by the villagers of Shangqiaotou and has become a thriving source of income for many local farming households.

　　With the development of tourism in Shangri-La, the market demand for wooden handicrafts from Shangqiaotou has been growing steadily. More villagers have recognized the promising market potential of wooden products and joined the industry. Nowadays, the range of wooden products from Shangqiaotou has expanded from solely wooden bowls to a variety of items such as wine sets and jewelry boxes. These products are both practical and decorative. Aside from being sold locally, they are also distributed to Tibetan regions such as Tibet and Garzê, with some even reaching countries like India and Nepal.

　　Tibetans have a strong fondness for tea as well as for the utensils used to drink it — wooden bowls. Tea bowls come in various types: ceramic bowls known as "Ga Yu," silver bowls called "E Po," jade bowls referred to as "Yang Chi," and wooden bowls called "Xin Po." The finest wooden bowls are "Cha Ya" and "Na Pao." The wooden bowls produced in Nixi Township, Shangri-La, are called "Cha Ya." They have an amber-like color and are highly durable.

　　(By Li Wenjing & Zhao Dongping)