Read and learn the methods developed by our gourd manipulating hero, Zhang Cairi of Tianjin China, to shape, train and transform gourds. Mr Zhang has dedicated many years to developing the techniques necessary to turn the common gourd into a highly decorative and functional piece of art. His years of searching through print to find even the smallest bit of information, teasing out clues and experimenting endlessly has restored the art of molding gourds to the heights it reached during the Ming Dynasty and lost during the Chinese cultural revolution.