In Chinese culture, gourds, or "hu lu" in Chinese, sounds similar to the Chinese characters "fu" which means good fortune, and "lu" which means wealth. So, the gourd has long been considered an auspicious plant, spurring craftsmen to create special art works to bring people luck.

Gourd pyrography is a traditional art and craft that consists of using a soldering iron to draw on the surface of gourds. It has been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Sun Chenglong, who was born in Qinhuangtai village, Bincheng district, Binzhou, has been making gourd pyrography artwork for more than a decade.

At his workshop, there are various pieces of gourd pyrography artwork with different patterns lying on the ground, his desk and hanging on the wall.

Endowed with an artistic soul, every piece of artwork he creates is so vivid and eye-catching. Even a very ordinary gourd can be transformed into an exquisite piece of artwork under Sun's hands.

Sun attends a cultural expo in Shandong province. [Photo/binzhouw.com]