On a bicycle made from bamboo

Wang rides through a Beijing hutong on a bicycle made from bamboo. SHEN BOHAN/XINHUA

Wang quit his job in 2014 to launch his career in bicycles. Two years on, he has a website and a community that organizes picnics, rides and other gatherings.

He rejects mass production and its potential profits. He believes the beauty of the bamboo bicycle is that everyone can make their own, and a self-made bicycle will encourage its maker to ride more.

"We are not just teaching people to make their own bicycles out of bamboo, but, more importantly, we're encouraging a lifestyle and mobility culture that express our hope for a sustainable city," Wang said.

Most of the participants in his workshops were expats at first, but more young Chinese are joining in.

Before joining the workshop last year, Xiao Luo was a repairman at a bicycle shop in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. When he first saw Wang's bamboo bicycles, he was exhilarated, not only because they were made of bamboo, but also because they were handcrafted.

He said the workshop has given him a sense of pride that making a bicycle is a craft that deserves respect. "I never imagined I would make a bicycle myself. It seems that a little technician has grown into a craftsman," Xiao said.