In the quiet halls of a gourd carving studio in Guangrao county, Dongying, the air carries the mellow, woody scent of sun-dried vines — the primary canvas for Wan Chun.
As an esteemed inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, Wan has spent 16 years perfecting a craft where the precision of a blade meets nature's curves. While his recent works celebrate the Year of the Horse, the true heart of his studio lies in the thousand-year-old legacy of gourd carving.
In Chinese culture, the gourd — or hulu — is a cherished homophone for "fulu" (fortune and prosperity). Wan elevates this folk symbol through a sophisticated carving technique. His hands move with rhythmic grace, etching spirited horses and intricate manes that follow the natural contours of the gourd. By integrating local Sun Tzu culture, he often carves scenes of ancient war chariots and tactical wisdom, rooting his art deeply in the historical soul of Dongying.
The process is one of patience and grit. Each piece begins with a rigorous selection of hardy shells that are aged for months to ensure a lustrous, natural durability. Beyond his workbench, Wan Chun acts as a cultural bridge, bringing his workshop into schools and communities to ensure the "seeds" of this heritage continue to sprout in the modern era.
In the delicate shavings of a carved horse or the scorched lines of pyrography, the Wanchun gourd workshop offers a timeless window into the resilience and elegance of Guangrao's craftsmanship.
[Video provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
