Photo shows woodcarving products on display at a woodcarving factory run by Duan Sixing, a national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor of Jianchuan woodcarving, in Jianchuan county, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Yunnan Province. (People’s Daily Online/Cheng Hao)
Tucked away in the southeastern corner of the ancient town of Jianchuan in Jianchuan county, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, stands a woodcarving factory.
On the third floor of the factory, Duan Sixing, a national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor of Jianchuan woodcarving, works with intense focus on a woodcarving piece. Jianchuan woodcarving, renowned for its relief carving and openwork techniques, was designated as a national-level intangible cultural heritage in 2012.
The spacious exhibition hall on the second floor showcases an impressive array of finely crafted woodcarvings, featuring themes such as traditional mythological figures, flowers, birds, fish, and insects.
The ground floor serves as the product sales area, where architectural woodcarvings, everyday wooden items, and ethnic tourism products are neatly arranged, demonstrating the practical applications of the craft.
Duan Sixing, a national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor of Jianchuan woodcarving, works on a woodcarving product in Jianchuan county, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China’s Yunnan Province. (People’s Daily Online/Cheng Hao)
"We’re currently building a woodcarving museum. The main structure is complete, and we expect to open by the next Spring Festival," Duan said.
"To help more people understand and experience the art of woodcarving, we’ve also built a dedicated experience area. In just the first half of this year, over 3,000 people visited for educational tours—mostly art students and design majors from universities across the country. They come to experience the charm of woodcarving, with some staying for over 20 days," he added.
Born into a woodcarving family in rural Jianchuan, Duan established the factory with his father in 1995—not only to make a living but, more importantly, to preserve and pass down the art of Jianchuan woodcarving.
Over the years, Duan has contributed to the restoration of several halls at Huating Temple in Kunming, capital of Yunnan. He also helped design and carve a massive woodcarving masterpiece measuring 97.6 meters in length and 1.8 meters in height—the longest Jianchuan woodcarving artwork ever created.
Today, Duan heads a national master craftsman studio, and has been recognized as a master of Chinese ethnic arts and crafts. He serves not only as a guardian of the woodcarving craft but also as a leading figure behind the development of Jianchuan’s woodcarving industry.
Photo shows woodcarving products on display at a woodcarving factory run by Duan Sixing. (People’s Daily Online/Cheng Hao)
Thanks to efforts by Duan and other representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, over 25,000 people in Jianchuan are now employed in the woodcarving sector. The industry generates an annual output exceeding 550 million yuan ($76.76 million), accounting for more than 10 percent of the county’s total industrial output. Jianchuan woodcarving has transformed from a traditional handicraft into a key driver of economic development, bringing significant economic and social benefits to the county.
Duan candidly acknowledges the current challenges: "The market has been sluggish over the past two years, with fewer orders for high-value architectural woodcarvings."
In response, he began exploring ways to integrate traditional woodcarving into modern daily life—particularly to appeal to younger generations.
He has partnered with multiple art colleges to design and develop small, refined woodcarving products such as fruit plates, tea tables, pendants, and other decorative items. These creations, blending aesthetic elegance with practical use, have gained popularity among younger consumers. Today, more and more woodcarving products are finding their way into ordinary households, becoming an integral part of everyday life.
The sustained development of the industry is inseparable from financial support. A guideline released by China encouraged financial institutions to continue strengthening financial services for intangible cultural heritages.
Photo shows woodcarving products on display at a woodcarving factory run by Duan Sixing. (People’s Daily Online/Cheng Hao)
In response to the guideline, the Dali branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) launched a program to offer targeted support to artisans in traditional crafts like pottery, woodcarving, silverwork, and Bai embroidery.
This year, amid a downturn in the woodcarving market, Duan’s woodcarving factory faced a working capital shortage. After applying for a loan from the Dali branch of the ICBC, a 3-million-yuan loan was swiftly approved, providing much-needed financial relief.
As of the end of June, the program had granted 25.56 million yuan in loans, benefiting 18 intangible cultural heritage inheritors in Dali.
"Looking ahead, we will continue promoting the art of woodcarving in schools to ensure its preservation and inheritance. Especially now that long-term stays in Yunnan have become increasingly popular, this trend brings encouraging prospects for the woodcarving industry. I’m optimistic about the future market for Jianchuan woodcarving," Duan said.
原文地址:http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0708/c98649-20337410.html