Illustrated by Zhao Shuhe

Sea willow, a kind of black coral, gets its name because it grows into a branch shape, much like a willow on land. Pingtan folk artists use the peculiar appearance of the coral to sculpt various exquisite and realistic art treasures like figure ornaments, flowers, birds, insects, cigarette holders, hand playing pieces, pendants, rings, and Buddhist beads through more than ten procedures. This includes pruning, planing, grinding, drilling, engraving, and polishing.

In an era of fast-moving commodities, the level of complexities and time-consumption of the trade became a real threat of extinction for the art. With the great efforts of local authorities in Pingtan, it was brought back to life.