Young artisan preserves 300-year-old wood carving craft in N China's Hebei

Hundreds of lifelike wood carvings greet visitors at the wood carving museum of Xu Hongyang, a representative inheritor of Jingxing wood carving, in Shijiazhuang, north China's Hebei Province.

Jingxing wood carving is a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage in Hebei. The craft emphasizes layered three-dimensional effects and boasts a history of over 300 years.

Xu Hongyang, a representative inheritor of Jingxing wood carving, works on a wood carving work. (Photo/Gu Man)

Xu, born in the 1990s, has been honored with titles including "national model worker" and "national exemplary individual in the protection of intangible cultural heritage."

According to Xu, Jingxing wood carving primarily employs traditional relief carving techniques, while also incorporating sculpture in the round, openwork carving, and other methods.

"When carving figures or flowers and birds, we often use shallow relief," Xu said. Shallow relief involves carving just 2 to 5 millimeters below the wood's surface.

Pointing to a crane-themed carving, Xu said it marked his first attempt at carving the tip of a crane's tongue to a thickness of just 2 millimeters.

He said that achieving this effect requires precise control — the depth of each cut, the force applied — everything must be exact. The slightest error could cause breakage and ruin the entire piece, he added.

Xu began learning to paint at the age of 7 and studied wood carving at 13 under his father's guidance. To hone his skills, he once spent six consecutive months working more than 14 hours a day in his workshop.

Today, he has transformed his museum into a hub for Jingxing wood carving, encompassing creation, research, production and sales.

"We've combined traditional wood carving with modern technology to develop over 200 cultural and creative products, including Zhaozhou Bridge-shaped lamps, Chinese zodiac figurines and wooden combs," Xu said.

"From my father's generation, I learned not just a craft but also a spirit of dedication and the pursuit of excellence," he added.

Now, through apprenticeships, educational tours, and efforts to bring intangible cultural heritage into schools, a growing number of people are learning the art of wood carving.

"I believe the story of Jingxing wood carving will continue, and the craftsmanship will be passed down," Xu said.