Following a design shown on her cell phone, Ruan Xiyue, 35, quickly sketched a manned spacecraft on a gourd (葫芦), completing the first step of gourd sculpture, an intangible (非物质) cultural her it age of northwest China’s Gansu Province.

Coming from a family engaged in gourd sculpture for almost 90 years in Lanzhou, Ruan is not satisfied with just perfecting her technique. Instead, the fourth-generation inheritor (继承人) aims to bring traditional craftsmanship closer to young people through marketing and sharing.

Dating back over 1, 600 years, gourd sculpture was first developed as a decoration on people’s portable wine pots made of gourds. The pronunciation of “gourd” in Chinese, which resembles that of “luck and fortune”, partly explains its lasting popularity.

For Ruan, the fragrance of gourds is the smell of home. Upon graduating from college, she started learning gourd sculpture from her mother, sitting for hours every day practicing calligraphy and painting, which she views as the essential training to become a qualified sculptor. Later, Ruan developed innovative products such as gourd mirrors and gourd necklaces to tap the market potential, believing they can help the craft reach more people.

Her family opened a gourd sculpting studio in 2010, displaying their works as well as a history of the art. Ruan likes talking with visitors to the studio, and their interactions inspired her to launch a curriculum for people to experience the craft in 2016. According to Ruan, around 800 people attend the courses every year. Among them are students eager to learn something new, and young parents who bring their kids along to enjoy some lovely family time. “Many participants told me that our courses enable them to know more about the history of Lanzhou, and help make the city’s memories last longer,” said Ruan.

Under Ruan’s influence, her mother is now live streaming on social media everyday sharing her stories of gourd sculpture with viewers across the country. “Sharing is inheriting,” said Ruan. “When we share our skills and knowledge with more people, the traditional culture will naturally be spread on a wider scale,” said Ruan.

【小题1】What do we know about Ruan?

A．She is a designer of manned spacecraft on a gourd.

B．She took up gourd sculpture under the influence of her family.

C．She first sculpted on a portable wine pot made of a gourd.

D．She is good at teaching young people the craftsmanship.

【小题2】Which words can be used to describe the curriculum?

A．Inspiring and touching.	B．New and memorable.
C．Popular and enjoyable.	D．Lovely and practical.

【小题3】Which statement is the author likely to agree with?

A．Spreading the gourd sculpture is to share the stories.

B．Stories of gourd sculpture a reviewed across the world

C．Live streaming on social media is the best way to share.

D．Traditional culture will be spread wider through sharing.

【小题4】What can be the best title of the text?

A．Ruan Xiyue: an Inheritor of an Intangible Cultural Heritage.

B．Gourd Sculpture: a Traditional Craft Popular with the Chinese.

C．Social Media: a Useful Tool to Share Gourd Sculpture.

D．Cultural Courses: an Approach to Learning Something New.