Dawu clay figurines. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The craft of making clay figurines has been carried on for seven centuries in Dawu village in Chaozhou, Guangdong province, as part of the rich cultural heritage of the city.

It stands side by side with the clay figurine style in Huishan, Wuxi, Jiangsu province, and the clay figurine Zhang in Tianjin.

The Dawu style differs from the other two by its layers of sheets made separately and stuck to the body of the figurine to depict vivid clothing and posture, said Pan Youfang, a local clay figurine artist.

Clay figurines in Dawu come from stories in local Teochew Opera, legends, religious themes and everyday life scenes.

A museum in the village was established by Pan's husband, Wu Kehuang, who started to learn how to make clay figurines at age 15. The museum has 475 works on display. It also provides DIY sessions to visitors.