[Video provided to en.nantong.gov.cn]

Nantong redwood carving can be traced back to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. There is a complete range of carvings, ranging from big items such as beds, cabinets, screens, desks, dressing tables, hangers, cash boxes, stools, palace lanterns, flower tables, and screens, to small items such as abacus, chopsticks, ink cartridges, and bird cages.

Craftsmen used wood and knives to carve mountains, water, flowers, and birds, depicting the harmony of all things.

At present, Nantong is home to 600 redwood-carving companies with 30,000 employees, accounting for half of the total in Jiangsu province. They are mainly located in six regions – an industrial cluster dominated by many redwood carving companies in Chongchuan district, the Haimen Qilin redwood market, the Rugao Linzi redwood carving market, Tongzhou Si’an, Pingchao, Liuqiao and surrounding areas, Hai’an Dagong and surrounding areas, and Rudong Juegang, Chahe, and surrounding areas.

Nantong has attracted many skilled redwood carvers, who have won many awards in various competitions and events held across the country.

In 2011, Nantong redwood carving was listed as a provincial intangible cultural heritage item of Jiangsu province.