Twist of fate

Straw plaiting is a traditional craft that dates back more than 6,000 years in Zibo and has been added to the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

"A trainee told me that many families and local residents engaged in the industry and a complete production chain had been developed in the area," Sun said.

"At that time, I had the idea of trying it in Changchun, but it was quite clear that it would be impossible to achieve the same success as Zibo, so I had to find a different way."

To differ from the traditional straw-plaited products such as baskets, fruit boxes and straw hats, Sun decided to produce large straw sculptures for use in urban landscape designs.

However, none of her relatives or friends supported her decision, she said.

"They said I was too old to attempt a new project with such an uncertain future," she said. "But I firmly believed that the project was a good business opportunity and started it with the help of several employees."

It also provided more job opportunities for villagers, she added.

To expand the market, she made several straw sculptures, including three ginseng plants, three sika deer and a lucid ganoderma-a kidney-shaped herb-to display at the 17th Changchun International Agricultural Food Exposition and Fair held in August last year.

To her surprise, the sculptures were popular with visitors.

"I was too excited and couldn't fall asleep till midnight when I recalled visitors lining up to take photos with my sculptures," she said.

At the end of last year, she transferred share holdings and management of the logistics company to senior staff so she could put more effort into her straw sculpture enterprise.

At the International Horticultural Exhibition 2019 Beijing that kicked off on April 28, her 15 sculptures again drew public attention. "A large ginseng sculpture was sold for 100,000 yuan ($14,250) at the expo," she said. "Moreover, I began to receive nonstop orders."

For Sun, the best outcome is that her employees can earn more money through their hard work.

They are paid 300 yuan to 1,000 yuan a sculpture, depending on the size and complexity of the design involved.

It is not difficult for a skillful worker to earn 10,000 yuan a month, she said. New employees can also get around 2,000 yuan a month after training.

"I feel proud that I can still make a contribution to society at the age of 65," Sun said. "I will stick it out till the day I can't move."