Exquisite paper umbrellas connect with younger generation

Social media and fashionable styles a big hit online

A young entrepreneur from the city of Xiangtan, Hunan province, has stepped out of the shade of his more traditional father to take advantage of social media and e-commerce, and give the age-old business of making and selling oil-paper umbrellas a new lease of life.

When Zhou Le was growing up, his father impressed upon him the cultural significance of the area's 600-year history of making oil-paper umbrellas.

Zhou Hanyu, the father, taught his son the intricate steps of making these decorative pieces.