On November 13 – a day after released her two latest videos [on the topics of lacquerware crafting and making a dressing room in the forest] after three years of absence from social media – ‘The Country Fairy’ caused a wave of concern among netizens in China with her pale face image.
“Li Zi Qi’s dedication has borne sweet fruit”
In an interview with Chinese media, Li Zi Qi said it was due to a ‘professional accident’ while she was learning to make lacquerware and filming this 14-minute video.
“This creative process made me feel both pain and happiness. After my first encounter with lacquer resin, I couldn’t avoid allergies: Swelling, pimples appeared all over my face and limbs. The pimples made my whole body itchy, uncomfortable, and sleepless. There was a time when the whole crew had to go to the hospital for allergy shots” – Li Zi Qi shared with the media.
The swollen face of Li Zi Qi when she was allergic to lacquer. Photo: Provided character/MSN
The Shandong Times quoted the information from the Chengdu Lacquerware Workshop (Sichuan Province), stating: Many years ago, a wonderful opportunity brought Li Zi Qi to the Chengdu Lacquerware Workshop, where both sides visited Master Yuan Li Ping – a bearer of the national representative heritage – to learn about the true lacquer art, which is recognized as a precious national intangible cultural heritage, with extremely difficult techniques such as carving and decoration.
“The difficulty of lacquerware is that not many people can endure it. To engage with the 8,000-year-old lacquer art of China, mere love is not enough. One must have a special passion for ‘Hidden Flowers in Lacquer’ (hidden flower carving in lacquer), and truly immerse themselves in the profound yet gentle and warm essence of traditional Chinese culture.
Some people often take 3 years just to start with lacquer art. Some may take a decade to grasp all the nuances of lacquer art and understand the ‘soul’ that cannot be put into words after each painstakingly crafted piece.
The first time I met Li Zi Qi, I thought she would give up. I didn’t expect her to show incredible perseverance in the process of learning lacquer. The energy from her optimism and dedication eventually bore fruit. I was truly moved” – Master Yuan Li Ping shared.
GIF image from Li Zi Qi’s Weibo showing her making a purple lacquer cabinet. Source: CGTN
GIF image from Li Zi Qi’s Weibo showing her making a purple lacquer cabinet. Source: CGTN
MSN reported that Li Zi Qi took the 8,000-year-old Chinese lacquer art as the theme for her 14-minute video, which took half a year to complete, showcasing the aesthetics and unique craftsmanship of Chinese lacquerware.
When introducing her newly released lacquer art video, Li Zi Qi stated that she named the lacquer piece with hidden flowers carved on her grandmother’s cabinet “Purple Air from the East”.
To capture these beautiful moments in the 14-minute video, Li Zi Qi had to learn and execute it over half a year. Image cut from the video.
The charm of Li Zi Qi comes from her poetic depiction of rural life, characteristic of the culture and aesthetics of China. The slow-paced rural life, like a fairy tale, her traditional cooking techniques, and cultural activities have attracted a large following both domestically and internationally.
In 2020, Li Zi Qi set a Guinness World Record for having the most subscribers on a Chinese YouTube channel, with a total of 11.4 million followers at that time. This number has now exceeded 20 million, CGTN reported.
So what is lacquer resin? Why does it cause allergies?
Data from Baidu Encyclopedia states that the Chinese lacquer tree (scientific name: Toxicodendron vernicifluum) grows in the southern regions from southern Gansu to Shandong. These are areas with humid temperatures and a very suitable environment for lacquer trees to thrive. Broadly, lacquer trees are mainly distributed in the eastern and central regions of Asia, in other countries such as Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Myanmar…
The Chinese lacquer tree.
Chinese lacquer resin is a pure natural liquid paint, opaque white, harvested from the lacquer tree by cutting the trunk. This liquid paint is characterized by gradually turning brown when exposed to air and drying hard within about 4 hours.
“White as snow, red as blood, black as iron” is a saying that Chinese people still use to describe the process of natural lacquer resin from its liquid state to oxidation and drying; the color transitions from light to dark, ultimately forming a durable lacquer film.
Chemical experts analyze: As the main film-forming agent of lacquer, the molecular structure of urushiol contains aromatic hydrocarbons and long fatty side chains. Therefore, urushiol has dual properties of being aromatic and fatty along with very excellent physical and chemical properties.
Lacquer films have numerous prominent and superior characteristics such as hardness, glossiness, unique durability, corrosion resistance, abrasion resistance, heat resistance, oil resistance, water resistance, acid resistance, solvent resistance, and especially good thermal and electrical insulation, thus the economic value of lacquer resin is very high.
At the same time, it is widely used in coating handicrafts, furniture, equipment, agricultural machinery, as well as being present in chemicals, the textile industry, and other industries.
The resin from the lacquer tree is very toxic but has incredibly superior properties in return.
The main chemical component of lacquer resin is urushiol. The lacquer resin solution cut from the lacquer tree includes: Urushiol, nitrogen, liquid, and a small amount of volatile acids, of which nearly 80% is urushiol. The enzymes in the nitrogen-containing substances of lacquer can promote the oxidation of urushiol, creating the unique mild sour taste of lacquer.
However, the most noteworthy characteristic is Urushiol in lacquer is very toxic and can cause allergies in humans. [In return, the higher the urushiol content, the better the quality of lacquer.]
Lacquer resin can cause allergies at varying levels. The reason why lacquer resin causes allergies in people is still not well understood. The main cause is due to the presence of urushiol and various volatile substances in lacquer resin.
The main routes through which allergens in lacquer resin enter the human body are through the skin, mucous membranes, and respiration. Therefore, allergies and lesions can occur (depending on the severity) not only through direct contact with skin/mucous membranes but also through inhalation.
Although it causes swelling, itching, and lesions, as long as medical intervention is early, treating allergies from lacquer resin is easy and leaves no traces.
References: The Shandong Times, QQ, Baidu Encyclopedia, CGTN