A sketch of the Liying lamps. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]

A tea-farmer-inspired lamp from Hangzhou's Changdai village has taken center stage in the international art scene, local media outlets reported.

The public art piece Liying (meaning reflections of a bamboo hat), created by Chinese artists Liu Qing, Chen Zihan, and Xu Jie, won the Excellence Honor Award at the Boundless Spring: China-Spain Contemporary Art Exhibition in Barcelona.

Inspired by the conical hats worn during tea-picking, the design blends rural aesthetics with modern geometry. Originally conceived as a village-specific streetlamp, the bamboo-hat-shaped lights now line the paths of Changdai village, transforming the tea-growing community into a glowing nighttime landscape.

The project has since evolved into a larger rural vitalization effort. A new village theater was built at the foot of a flower-filled hillside, using 16 custom lamps to mimic the daily rhythm of tea farmers — from labor at sunrise to rest at sunset.

For the creators, the Liying lamp is just about providing light — it's a symbol of local identity. Following its international debut, the Barcelona Art Alliance plans to visit Longwu tea village for future collaborations, further deepening East-West artistic exchanges.

"Public art installations can light a path — not just through space, but between cultures," said Liu Qing.

The Liying lamps blend with the natural surroundings at Changdai village. [Photo/hangzhou.com.cn]