Why a Brazilian Exchange Student Chose to Make Bamboo Jewelry for His Girlfriend in Shanghai

A finance exchange student from Brazil joined our bamboo weaving jewelry workshop with a very special purpose—to make a handmade gift for his girlfriend.

Most guests join our bamboo weaving workshop with friends, family, or a partner.

This time, a young man walked into Yin Studio alone.

He was a finance exchange student from Brazil, spending one week in Shanghai for an academic program. While looking for something different to experience in the city, he found our bamboo weaving jewelry workshop and decided to book it.

At first, I assumed he was simply interested in learning a traditional Chinese craft.

Then he smiled and said, "I'm making this for my girlfriend."

That immediately changed the feeling of the workshop.

He told me he wasn't particularly good at crafts. In fact, bamboo weaving jewelry is one of the more challenging workshops we offer. Even guests who enjoy handmade projects often find it takes patience and careful attention to every step.

Still, he wanted to make the gift himself.

When choosing the color, he didn't hesitate.

"Red."

He chose red because, to him, it represents China. Since his girlfriend's family has Chinese roots, he wanted the gift to carry a special connection to both China and her family history.

When I asked why, he explained that red reminded him of China. Since his girlfriend's family has Chinese roots, he wanted the gift to carry a connection to both China and her family history. It wouldn't just be a souvenir from Shanghai—it would be something personal, made by hand with time, patience, and care.

Choosing to make a gift by hand means accepting every challenge along the way—and enjoying the process as much as the result.

Throughout the workshop, he often stopped to look carefully at each step before continuing. Sometimes he adjusted the bamboo strips and tried again. He wasn't trying to make it perfect because he isn’t an experienced crafter. He simply wanted to make something meaningful for someone he loved.

As we worked together, our conversation naturally turned to China, Brazil, and family history. He shared that his girlfriend's family had left China decades ago, during a very different period in the country's history. It reminded me that history isn't only found in books—it also lives quietly in the stories families pass down from one generation to the next.

By the end of the afternoon, he held a finished red bamboo camellia brooch in his hands.

Perhaps it wasn't perfect.

But that wasn't what mattered.

After hours of careful weaving, the red bamboo camellia was finally finished—ready to travel from Shanghai to Brazil.

In a world where almost anything can be ordered online with just a few clicks, he chose to spend an afternoon learning a difficult traditional craft to create something with his own hands.

Sometimes, the most meaningful gifts aren't the most expensive ones.

They're the ones that carry time, effort, and love.

🌿 Culture Note

Why Red Means More Than Just a Color

Red is one of the most meaningful colors in Chinese culture. It symbolizes happiness, celebration, love, and good fortune. It is commonly seen during Chinese New Year, weddings, festivals, and other joyful occasions.

For many international visitors, red is also the color they associate most strongly with China. Choosing a red handmade gift can become a beautiful way of connecting a personal memory with Chinese culture.

🎋 Did You Know?

Bamboo has been admired in China for thousands of years. Because it stays green throughout the year and bends without breaking, it symbolizes resilience, integrity, and steady growth.

Today, bamboo weaving is recognized as an important traditional Chinese handicraft, preserving techniques that have been passed down through generations.

Beginner Chinese

礼物 (Lǐwù) — Gift

This is one of the first Chinese words many visitors learn when buying souvenirs or preparing a surprise for someone special.

Example:

这是送给你的礼物。
Zhè shì sòng gěi nǐ de lǐwù.
This is a gift for you.

A handmade gift is called:

手工礼物 (Shǒugōng lǐwù) — Handmade gift

Sometimes, the most memorable souvenir isn't something you buy.

It's something you make with your own hands.