Pingtan's exquisite shell carvings fascinate international visitors.

On May 8, more than 30 international visitors from countries such as Sri Lanka, Lesotho, Armenia, and Venezuela, visited the Pingtan Straits Folk Art Museum. The VIPs were treated to an extraordinary display of traditional handicrafts at the museum. It was the largest group of international guests to visit the museum since its opening in 2021.

The museum, located in the picturesque Pingtan island off E China’s Fujian province with its beautiful mountains and seas, ancient stone villages, and diverse Pingtan narcissus, showcases a variety of artworks that embody the unique cultural characteristics of Pingtan. Among them, the most eye-catching are the exquisite shell carvings, which are a traditional and distinctive art form of Pingtan. As a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage, shell carving requires high craftsmanship and expertise. The visitors were attracted by the dazzling and magnificent shell carvings that depict the stories of the mountains and the sea.

"This is our most prized collection, named 'October Spring Breeze Awakens the Earth,’" said Zhan Lixin, the person in charge of the museum, while introducing the artwork. Created in 1977 by venerable artisans, this ornate screen adorned with delicate shell carvings commemorates the 28th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. The piece is composed of 28 intricately shaped cranes carved from seashells. The harmonious artwork illustrates the graceful birds in flight, at play and hunt mode, fleeting amidst pine trees, cypresses, rocks, and flowing streams. The cranes symbolize longevity, and the artwork conveys traditional Chinese good wishes for a long life.

The international visitors were impressed by the exquisite craftsmanship of the shell carvings. "Very good!" they exclaimed. They marveled at the notion that such exquisite artwork could be meticulously fashioned from humble shells, lavishing praise upon Pingtan's shell artistry.  In addition to traditional shell carving artworks, the museum also exhibits new shell carving pieces that combine Chinese classic paintings and calligraphy, as well as creative decorations inspired by traditional Chinese culture. The international guests were amazed by the diverse exhibits and took pictures while asking questions, appreciating the beauty of the Pingtan intangible cultural heritage.

International visitors try their hand at shell carving in Pingtan.

At the end of the tour, the staff arranged various colored and shaped shells on the table for the international visitors to experience DIY shell carving. They used hot melt glue guns and their imaginations to create shell carvings of trees, flowers, leaves, beaches, whales, and moons and even wrote phrases like "I love China" and "I love Pingtan" on their artwork. Kobe from Lesotho said it was his first time visiting Pingtan and that he was impressed by the unique charm of the Pingtan island. He found shell carving to be interesting and planned to bring his artwork back home for collection.

International visitors capture memories with Pingtan's shell carving artisans.

"This is the first large-scale international group to visit the Pingtan Straits Folk Art Museum since its opening in 2021," said Zhan Lixin. The international visitors showed great enthusiasm for shell carving, which is a "window" for Pingtan shell carving to go global. 

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