Pingtan, a coastal island in Fujian Province known for its unique maritime culture and cross-Straits ties, has earned national acclaim for its distinctive sand art. Lin Fuping, an intangible cultural heritage (ICH) inheritor of Pingtan sand painting, won the Silver Award at the "Extraordinary Intangible Heritage 2026 National Hundred Handicrafts Design Exhibition" in Beijing with his work Warm Years.

The exhibition aims to explore and showcase the contemporary vitality of traditional handicrafts. Lin's award not only affirms his personal craftsmanship but also marks Pingtan sand painting's growing influence beyond its local roots.

Created with natural sea sand from Pingtan, Warm Years depicts a heartwarming rural scene: a kind elderly man driving an ox-cart carrying two children—one holding a candied hawthorn stick, the other looking around curiously—in a cart load of golden corn. The work features soft tones, vivid poses, and a strong sense of life, as Lin skillfully blends special glue with sand, combining stacking, shaping, polishing and relief techniques to achieve rich colors and distinct layers. "By using special glue and sand particles ingeniously, I freeze the daily warmth of Pingtan on the canvas," Lin explained. As the fourth-generation inheritor of the family craft, he noted that each generation has innovated the art form.

Experts praised the work for its clever composition and sincere emotion, suggesting that incorporating Fujian's unique architectural elements like Pingtan's stone houses would enhance its local characteristics. Inspired by the experience, Lin said, "Using Pingtan's sand, I must tell Pingtan's own stories. In the future, I will bring in more hometown landscapes and memories into my works."

With works exhibited in Fuzhou, Xiamen and even Xinjiang, Lin has long been dedicated to promoting the intangible heritage—visiting campuses and engaging the public. He plans to create a new series featuring Pingtan's stone houses, sea waves and customs, aiming to "let my hometown's scenes shine on the world stage through sand on my fingertips."

Lin has dedicated himself to sharing this heritage for years, with exhibitions from Fuzhou and Xiamen to as far as Xinjiang, and through active outreach on campuses and in the community. Now, he is channeling that energy into a new series focused on Pingtan's iconic stone houses, its sea waves, and local customs. His ultimate aim: "to let the world see my hometown through the sand on my fingertips."