Recently, Xie Qiang, a Master of Chinese Arts and Crafts and a national-level "Great Craftsman" in the light industry sector, visited the School of Design and Media at Wuxi Institute of Commerce. He participated in the "Guard the Original Aspiration with Craftsmanship, Open a New Chapter with Inheritance" event, engaging in a face-to-face dialogue with young students about the preservation of craftsmanship in the age of AI.
During the event, Xie Qiang used his personal artistic journey as a starting point, recounting his path from a rural background to discovering the art of Zisha pottery, studying under renowned masters, and dedicating himself to the preservation of intangible cultural heritage techniques. "Even a moss flower as small as a rice grain can bloom as beautifully as a peony. Your starting point does not determine your end point; only by holding fast to your passion and staying grounded can you achieve lasting success in your chosen professional path," Xie Qiang remarked.
The School of Design and Media at Wuxi Institute of Commerce has long been dedicated to the fields of intangible cultural heritage aesthetic education and skill inheritance. The school consistently promotes the integration of intangible cultural heritage into campus life, classroom curricula, and its talent development framework. Leveraging its strengths in design and media disciplines, the school explores the cultural value of traditional crafts and regularly organizes activities such as artisan interviews, heritage lectures, and skill exchanges. These efforts aim to support the rejuvenation and innovative development of traditional handicrafts among younger generations. The visit of the Great Craftsman to campus serves as a significant extension of the school's series of heritage education initiatives.
"The more advanced artificial intelligence becomes, the more precious independent thinking becomes," Xie Qiang said in response to a student's question about AI. He explained that while AI has transformed creative efficiency, it cannot replace the soul of creation. Tools will continue to evolve, but the skills honed through practice and the thoughts cultivated in the mind will never become outdated. Xie Qiang also emphasized that while leveraging online trends and social media for broader reach is acceptable, the core of such efforts must remain rooted in culture itself, and the weight of cultural heritage should not be diluted by internet traffic.
"Teacher Xie turned forty years of expertise into clear and understandable wisdom. We now have a much better sense of what to learn and how to learn it in the future," said Cheng Shihan, a 2026 freshman. "It turns out that the spirit of craftsmanship is not far away from us at all."
A representative from the School of Design and Media at Wuxi Institute of Commerce noted that this event was an important component of the freshman orientation program. Moving forward, the school will continue to implement the "Great Craftsmen on Campus" series of signature activities, deeply integrating the spirit of craftsmanship into the entire talent cultivation process. The goal is to guide students to leverage their professional expertise, empower intangible cultural heritage through design, spread cultural heritage through communication, and take the initiative in telling the stories of traditional Chinese crafts.