STORY: Revitalizing China's dough sculpture technique in E China
SHOOTING DATE: Jan. 25, 2025
DATELINE: Feb. 1, 2025
LENGTH: 00:00:58
LOCATION: HEZE, China
CATEGORY: CULTURE/SOCIETY 

SHOTLIST:
1. various of dough sculptures
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LIU YANZHONG, Dough sculpture craftsman
3. various of dough sculpture crafting
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LIU YANZHONG, Dough sculpture craftsman

STORYLINE:

Dough sculpture, a millennia-old technique of crafting images using flour and rice, has been practiced for thousands of years in China.

Thanks to the dedication and creativity of folk artists, the dough sculpture works are becoming increasingly diverse in their expressions and are gaining international recognition.

The Spring Festival holiday is usually the peak sales season for dough sculptures. 

Liu Yanzhong, a dough sculpture artist from Caoxian County, east China's Shandong Province, was busy at work.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LIU YANZHONG, Dough sculpture craftsman
"Each Chinese New Year, every household places round-shaped dough sculptures (meaning reunions) and some shaped in Chinese character 'Fu (meaning blessing)' in their homes to enhance the festive atmosphere of the Chinese New Year."

Using hands and simple tools, Liu kneads and pinches the dough to turn it into intricate and lifelike figures.

In July 2023, four of his works were exhibited at the Louvre in France. Since then, his works have been on display globally. 

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): LIU YANZHONG, Dough sculpture craftsman
"It has always been my wish to let more foreigners know about Chinese culture. In the future, I look forward to having exchange with more foreign artists to introduce this technique to the world."

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