Handicraft of Tibetan boots goes on

Aqiewa and his son Dorje, photo by Wang Fei from CTIC.

Aqiewa's house is in decoration, photo by Wang Fei from CTIC.

As Tibetan men need to wear Tibetan boots when riding horses, Tibetan boot made by traditional handicraft is one item of the local costume in Bome county of Nyingchi prefecture.

56-year-old Aqiewa in Dada village of Bome county is good at making boots and he is the only man who knows how to make Bome Tibetan Boots. According to him, it takes about 10 days to make a pair of Tibetan boots in Tibetan style and they can sell about 1,000 yuan with the cost of 500 yuan.

"I began to learn the handicraft at the age of 25 and at that time I just wanted to increase income. And I didn't expect that I can be a representative of ethnic handicraft now. I feel moved that Tibetan boots making has been approved as an intangible heritage project of Tibet this year. As the only man who is able to make Bome Tibetan Boots, I want to carry on the handicraft," said Aqiewa.

24-year-old Dorje, Aqiewa's second son, told the reporter: "Nowadays less young people wear Tibetan boots and not many people want to learn the skill. But I will inherit my father's craftsmanship."

In the Tibet Autonomous Region, making Tibetan boots has more than 1,000 years of history and the region has taken measures to protect this handicraft.

 

Tibetan boots made in Bome, photo by Wang Fei from CTIC.

Making Tibetan boots with hands, photo by Wang Fei from CTIC.