THOUGH he has never traveled out of Guangzhou in 68 years of life, Liang Guangze made tens of thousands of kung fu shoes that had traveled far abroad in his stead.

A museum, planned to commemorate late kung fu star Bruce Lee in Liwan District, would take a pair of Liang's handmade kung fu shoes into its collection, said the Guangzhou Daily. Liang is the only traditional kung fu shoemaker in the city now with the market shrinking for the often-black boat-shaped shoes.

Martial art practitioners, lion dancers, Canton opera singers and elderly overseas Chinese are frequent customers. An old man settling down in Manchester, Britain bought more than 20 pairs from Liang during the past Spring Festival for himself and as gifts for friends. This does not occur often. Liang can make 70 pairs a month but the market does not need that many.

Liang's late elder brother opened the Zu'an Zhai (meaning comfortable footwear), which was the only kung fu shoe shop left in the 1960s. The shop was forced to close during the "cultural revolution" and reopened in 1980. Liang closed the shop in 1996 dismissing his employees but continued to make shoes in his 10-sqm home.

Liang first cuts rubber to make the sole, then makes the vamp with cotton cloth and panne velvet, stitches them together and wraps the rim with leather.

A young man once asked Liang to take him apprentice but was refused. Liang regretted it was difficult for his kung fu shoe workshop to earn enough for two.

Editor: Wing