STORY: A sense of mission supports me: young inheritor of Chaozhou wood carving
DATELINE: June 7, 2023
LENGTH: 00:03:02
LOCATION: GUANGZHOU, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of wood carving craftsmanship
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): CHEN JIA, Inheritor of Chaozhou wood carving

STORYLINE:

Chen Jia is an inheritor of Chaozhou wood carving, a national intangible cultural heritage in China.

Chen, who has been practicing the skill for over a decade, said she has felt a sense of accomplishment in her creations and a sense of mission to pass on the craftsmanship.

SOUNDBITE (Chinese): CHEN JIA, Inheritor of Chaozhou wood carving
"I grew up immersed in this craft since my grandfather and my father were both involved in it. Back then, when I was just a teenager, I only knew it as a way to earn money, but I didn't understand that it was an intangible cultural heritage. It was only after I got involved in it that I realized it was something worthwhile for young people like us to pursue.
One of the representative works of Chaozhou wood carving is the 'lobster and crab basket,' a three-dimensional hollowed-out sculpture. It is created using various carving techniques such as layered hollow carving, round carving, and relief carving. It's a piece of work that requires a lot of skills.
I had countless moments when I wanted to give up, but I never truly made up my mind. When I made a mess of myself and got injured, I often thought about giving up, but later on, when the wounds healed and the pain was forgotten, I changed my mind.
Transforming a seemingly insignificant piece of wood into a work of art gives me a great sense of accomplishment. It is this sense of achievement that gives me the confidence and conviction to persist.
Now, more than ten years have passed, and I feel there is something else that supports me, and that is a sense of mission. Since my family has the conditions to learn this craft, I must pass it on and promote it. It would be even better if more young people could join our ranks.
I have previously created several cartoon characters as a way to attract children and introduce them to the world of wood carving. I want them to realize that wood can be transformed into their favorite cartoon characters.
This is a national-level intangible cultural heritage project that is worth everyone's understanding and learning. Only by doing so can we carry forward the craftsmanship."

Chaozhou wood carving originated from the Chaozhou area of Guangdong Province before the Tang Dynasty (618-907). It was added to the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Guangzhou, China.
(XHTV)