Pingtan Shell Carving features stereo, exquisite and practical artworks. Skilled handicraftsmen can turn even the simplest seashells into flowers, birds, landscapes and figures- practically anything under the sun. Embraced by the ocean, Pingtan’s mild subtropical climate has bestowed the island with an abundance of shellfish. The art of shell carving in Pingtan dates back thousands of years.

Since the 1950s, Pingtan Shell Carving had its ups and downs.

Chronicled in Pingtan’s county annal, a local state-owned shell craft factory that produced shell paintings and sculptures was established in August 1959. The factory produced more than 500 products from 6 major product lines, including shell antique furniture. By 1995, the shell products had been exported to more than 20 provinces and cities across China and over 40 countries around the globe.

Unexpectedly, the factory had its downturn from heyday in just 20 years. Due to the shrunk market share, mismanagement, and innovation exhaustion.

After the closure of the factory, most of the remaining shell artworks were scattered into the hands of common folks. Zhan Sheng, an inheritor of the heritage, has collected thousands of works in the past 20 years and displayed them in his own workshop, which seems to be a "shell carving museum."

In 2012, several young and middle-aged locals, including Zhan who were emotionally attached to the art of shell carving vowed to bring it back to life. They gathered a group of veteran craftsmen, and hired young apprentices. Under the independent research and development of the design team led by Jiang Xinzhong, they created some products that were well-received in the market from home and abroad.

In recent years, Pingtan Shell Carvings has once again resurfaced in many high-profile expos and won numerous awards. In March 2019, the craft was inaugurated as a provincial non-heritage project in Southeast China’s Fujian.

Pingtan is now planning to build the Pingtan Shell Carving Art Museum and a sightseeing factory. The museum will display shell carving products from Pingtan, bizarre seashells and their products from all over the world, so that more people can get to know shell culture and Pingtan Shell Carving.

“When people speak of shell carving, they will think of Pingtan,” expected Zhan Sheng.