A glassblower in China has seen his cheeks protrude dramatically like a frog because of the strain he has put on them during 30 years of work in the industry.
The 48-year-old, surnamed Zhang, who works at a glass manufacturer in Zhongshan, Guangdong province, southern China, has captivated social media with his bent-out-of-shape face, according to a report by the news outlet jxnews.com.cn.
Long-term and intensive work has strangely developed Zhang’s facial muscles, such that his cheeks puff out bizarrely when he blows.
His colleagues affectionately call him “big mouth brother”, while he lightheartedly dubs himself the “frog prince”, the report said.
From a village in central Hunan province, Zhang has been working in the glass industry in Guangdong for 30 years.
Viral videos show Zhang using a 1.5 metre-long metal pipe to pick up a mass of melted glass heated to more than 1,000 degrees Celsius and blow air through the pipe to make the glass mass expand.
He is seen delicately revolving the pipe to adjust the shape of the glass while continuing to blow.
Zhang often does his job topless because of the heat in the workshop.
He said his face was normal when he began doing the job many years ago.
However, as a result of repeated air blowing, his facial muscles have stretched over time.
Gradually, his cheeks turned loose and became like a “balloon”, Zhang said.
He said he had suffered facial muscle damage.
Glass blowing is a craft with more than 1,000 years of history in China.
In the modern industry, most glassware production uses machines to blow air; however, traditional blowing is required to make complex products.
In Qixian county, Shanxi province, northern China, which is dubbed the country’s glassware capital, there are 35,000 glass blowers.
While human-blowing can produce six glass cups in a minute, a machine can make 45 in the same time, the news outlet The Paper reported.
In terms of quality, products blown by people are lighter and have thinner rims, according to the report.
Zhang’s story has sparked lively discussion on mainland social media.
One online observer said: “I do not think his look is funny, instead I admire him. My heart aches about his struggles over so many years.”
Another person said: “He is great. I am sure he supported his family through his hard work.” -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
