Lanzhou Gourd Carving: Creating Exquisite “Flowers” on Pinpoints

LANZHOU, China, Mar. 28, 2025 / Xinhua-AsiaNet / —

In Chinese traditional culture, gourd symbolizes fortune and prosperity, carrying people’s yearning for a happy life. They used to accompany the daily lives of Chinese as amulets or talismans through the ages. The craftsmanship of gourd carving has been passed down for over a millennium along the Yellow River. The artisans wield engraving knives and needles as pencils, sketching the colorful world on the surface of gourds.

 

Lanzhou Gourd Carving originated during Wei and Jin dynasties about 2,500 years ago. The Silk Road was thriving day by day back then, making Jincheng (ancient Lanzhou) a place where merchants from various countries gather together, as well as an important supply base and transit hub. The trading caravans often used gourds as drink containers, hanging on their bodies or on the camels. Afterwards, ancient people started to draw pictures on the surface of gourds as decorations to get a better look. The gourd carving technique, which integrates engraving and drawing, gradually became a craftsmanship that skilled artisans make their livings on.

 

Source: Lanzhou ChengGuan International Communication Center