Tiny gourds break into a big market: a post-80s young man's road to wealth

On August 14, villager Cui Haidong of Daliuhe Village, Dacheng County, Hebei Province, sorts knotted gourds.

On August 14, villager Cui Haidong of Daliuhe Village, Dacheng County, Hebei Province, makes knotted gourds.

On August 14, villager Cui Haidong of Daliuhe Village, Dacheng County, Hebei Province, makes knotted gourds.

Cui Haidong of Daliuhe Village, Dacheng County, Hebei Province, is the fifth-generation inheritor of the Cui family's gourd-knotting technique. The gourd variety used for knotting is the long-handled gourd (Lagenaria siceraria). By manually controlling the gourd's growth process, choosing the right moment, and softening the gourd, a single gourd's handle is tied into a knot, or several gourds are knotted together, creating a distinctive shape.

In 2014, he founded Langfang Cui Family Gourd Crafts Co., Ltd. At present, he is planning to build new factory buildings, an exhibition hall, and a drying workshop, develop the brand, and expand the planting scale. “In the future, I hope to have my own professional team, design new shapes, and turn gourds into an industry. I will certainly continue to put art at the center and take inheritance as my duty.” Speaking of the future, 36-year-old Cui Haidong is full of confidence.