Articles by A.M.

Linyi Daicun Community: Creating a Pastoral New City of Hope

Daicun Community, located in Bianzhuang District, Lanling County of Linyi City, is proposing the concept of a new-styled pastoral community within the county. With Mr. Wang Chuanxi as a leading figure of the Lanling County Committee, the concept aims to promote the rural revitalization by helping out the poorer area with the power of the richer ones. Daicun Community is a so-called “model village” with a total industry output value of 2.6 billion yuan, which means a per capita yearly net income of villagers of 69,000 yuan. Mr. Wang Chuanxi believes that if Daicun wants new development, it must find…


Inheriting an Ingenious Handicraft: Linyi Dough Sculpture

Dough sculpture, commonly known as dough flowering or dough kneading, is a traditional handicraft spread among Chinese people. The dough sculpture artform has been recorded in writing since the Han Dynasty. After thousands of years of inheritance, the artform is deeply loved as a folk art. Furthermore, the objects are a good method of research for history, archaeology, folklore, art and aesthetics. The raw material of dough sculptures is the common flour. But the craftsmen have the ability to transform daily routine into magical world. After kneading the flour dough by hand, they create various images with it like graceful…


“Upward Shandong” Promotion Event Radiating with its Products 

“Intelligent manufacturing in Shandong is amazing!” “Hard-cored techs are unfolding!” “It’s refreshing!” “Shandong is opening up and going upward!” On 10. November, the “Modern Manufacturing” exhibition area is welcoming guests who can’t help praising Shandong. It is the 2023 Beijing Promotion Event for the “Hospitable Shandong and Good Shandong Products”. The audience is being fascinated by the speech about the operation of China’s first engineering ship for maritime satellite launch. Meanwhile, stepping into the ” Qilu Model of Rural Revitalization” exhibition zone for high-quality agricultural specialties, one is impressed by the huge screen of the Pingyin Big Data Center for…


Feixian Clay Sculpture: Artful Presentation of Life 

Linyi City in Shandong Province has a long history and is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization. Its culture is treasured home and abroad. One of its intangible cultural heritages is Feixian Clay Sculpture. The clay sculptures in Feixian County integrate clay sculptures with oil paintings, comics and other forms of art. They are well-known for the exaggerated body expressions like comic figures, presenting honest, cheerful, simple, and interesting personalities in real life. Such local culture has become a name card of Feixian. The art of Feixian Clay Sculpture is originated in Yanmazhuang of Chengbei Town around the…


Delicatessen on the Tip of one’s Tongue – Pancake Roll with Spring Onion

A very distinctive local food, pancake is a treasured traditional staple dish for Linshu people in Shandong Province. There is a saying that the elders there are proud of: “Walking along the riverside with pancakes on your back, you are all set!” Going out of town for studying or traveling, Linshu people will always carry a pack of pancakes with them. Pancakes are delicious with a variety of spices and easy to store, too. One can enjoy the taste of hometown wherever he/she is. The process of making Linshu pancakes is quite minute and time-consuming. The ingredients must be soaked…


The Proud Brand Value of “Mengyin Peach” at the Age of E-Commerce 

In recent years, a rural e-commerce industry system has been set up at Mengyin County in Linyi City, Shandong Province, China. The system, promoting the online sales of high-quality agricultural products in the difficult-to-be-reached Yimeng mountainous regions, is transforming the present agricultural mode and increasing farmers’ income, making them into agri-merchants.  In 2020, Ms Niu Qinghua registered on a short video platform using the username “Yimeng Niu Qinghua” and began to promote Mengyin peaches through live streaming. This method quickly gained popularity among consumers across the country. During the 2022 peach harvest season, Niu Qinghua sold over 70,000 orders of…


Pingyi Sees A Seed Returning from Space Travel

In Pingyi County, Linyi City of Shandong Province, there is a town called Bianqiao. There, a big eye-catcher is the spectacular base for circular agriculture and industry: Yinhe Aerospace Demonstration Park. Established in March 2021, the park was jointly built by the National Aerospace Breeding Transformation Center and Lantian Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd.  The seeds returned from space are displayed in the green house, which look no different from ordinary seeds. In June 2021, they were selected and sent by Yinhe Aerospace Demonstration Park to be carried into space by the Shenzhou XII manned spacecraft, and successfully cultivated at the…


Linyi’s Folk Museum Tells Stories of Wood Culture

Linyi Tianze Wood Culture Museum, located in Lanshan District of Linyi City, Shandong Province, China, is a folk museum that showcases nearly 600 specimens of wood from 46 countries and regions. The museum exudes the fragrance of world wood culture and has been carefully curated to provide visitors with a truly immersive experience. In the museum, one can marvel at over a hundred species of ancient wood fossils dating back to billions of years ago with great scientific research value. The display includes the local fossils of ebony wood and silicified wood plus precious wood from other countries around the…


The Fascinating Art of Paper Cutting in Feixian County

As a traditional folk craft of the Han people, the paper cutting art has a long history and is still thriving today. The artform is not only considered as a gem of the Chinese folk art, but also a cherished treasure in the art collection worldwide.  Sun Xiaodong, a retired senior teacher from Feixian No.1 Middle School, is a representative figure of this heritage. He uses the images of plants and animals from real life for his art, creating vivid scenes by cutting paper. Depicting the local customs and traditions, he deepened the symbolic meanings by reflecting the human aspirations for a…


Chinese Dough Sculpture, a Three-Dimensional Painting

In ancient times, it was popular in China to make flour pastries for festival celebrations. The pastries were generally served as offerings for sacrifice services. This is the origin of dough sculptures.  The Yishui dough sculpture in Shandong Province is made of glutinous rice flour with different natural coloring materials . After being kneaded, rubbed, andlifted, it is cleverly cut, carved, and scratched with a small bamboo knife. The exquisite craftsmanship with vivid character forms and realistic landscape images earns it the title of “three-dimensional painting”. Other main materials for dough sculptures are iron wire, screws, refined flour, salt, preservatives, sesame oil and various pigments. The…