Yinan County: Displaying Charm of Root Carving Folk Art

YINAN, China, Mar. 19, 2024 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/—

In Linyi City, Shandong Province, craftsman Yu Fengbao pours his heart into every piece of root carving. With unique creativity and skilled craftsmanship, he transforms decay into marvel, breathing new life into withered roots. His distinctive style, characterized by its natural, imaginative, and artistic beauty, brings these roots to life with astonishing realism.

After graduating from high school, Yu Fengbao apprenticed with his uncle, Yu Wenlai, to learn woodworking carving. Later, he developed a fascination with manipulating tree roots and delved into the art of root carving. After extensive travels for learning, he returned to Yinan in 2007 and established his own “Yuanbao Root Art Museum” on Han Street in the county town, dedicating himself to root art creation. In 2007, his root art pieces “Pond Fun” and “Untitled” won gold and silver awards at the 8th China Root Stone Art Boutique Exhibition, and he was awarded the title of Master of Chinese Arts and Crafts. In December 2013, Yu Fengbao’s root carving art was listed as the first batch of intangible cultural heritage in Linyi City. In 2016, it was included in the provincial-level intangible cultural heritage list of Shandong Province.

In 2017, Yu Fengbao established the “Yinan Yuanbao Root Art Cultural Museum” on campus, exhibiting more than 300 pieces of root artworks to facilitate students’ understanding and learning of root carving art. He also voluntarily set up root carving art classes, actively imparting students the techniques of creating root artworks. He integrates the red culture and era characteristics of Linyi with root art culture, continuously extending the root art industry chain, so that the brand-new root artworks can not only serve as a bridge for cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries but also enter ordinary households.