CARVED ORNAMENTS: Kongzhu toys carved with ornaments of plants (SHI GANG)

In 2004, Zhang was invited to participate in a gala organized by the Beijing Municipal Government at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. He performed kongzhu playing, and sold each of the 20 kongzhu he brought with him that day. "I was very moved, and felt the value of a traditional craftsman," Zhang said.

New Legend

Playing kongzhu makes it easier for neighbors living in buildings to communicate with each other, just like before when residents in Beijing lived in traditional courtyards, said Zhang.

In 2005, Zhang's craft of making kongzhu was formally applied to be an intangible cultural heritage item by the Beijing Municipal Government. The State Council approved the application in 2006 — Zhang became an inheritor of the ancient legacy of making kongzhu.

In 2008, kongzhu products made by Zhang were sent to foreign friends as "a gift of Beijing" at the Beijing Olympic Games.

In 2009, Zhang and Guang'anmen Nei Community jointly set up a kongzhu museum displaying his kongzhu craftsmanship, providing a platform for people to communicate, and also a venue to sell products.

In 2012, a digital kongzhu museum was set up. The museum, adopting 3D virtual technology, displays the collection, research results, making and performance of kongzhu in both Chinese and English.

"I'm the first Chinese people presenting kongzhu to the world," said Zhang. "I've inherited and developed the craft, and therefore, I've made my ancestors illustrious."

Zhang launched some training classes in some primary and middle schools as well as in some universities to make kongzhu and also conduct research on protection and development of intangible cultural heritage.

Zhang has participated in many activities in recent years, including an event coincided with the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, in which he displayed procedure of making kongzhu; a Beijing-Hong Kong trade fair held in Hong Kong in 2009; a cultural exchange activity in Taiwan, and the third China Kongzhu Invitation Tournament in 2012.

The number of kongzhu fans and collectors is increasing. "I hope more people make kongzhu of wood and bamboo like me, so as to satisfy the need of kongzhu fans," said Zhang. "As long as people ask the way to make the toy, I would teach them without any reservation.

"My dream is to set up a base of traditional culture, where, one not only can see kongzhu, but also other old handicraft gadgets," said Kongzhu Zhang III.