Jixue stone, highly sought-after material for making seals and carving handicrafts

Qian Gaochao (L), national level master of arts and crafts, carves on a Jixue stone as his son Qian Youjie looks on at his studio in Lin'an District of Hangzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Nov. 5, 2020. The Jixue stone, featuring chicken-blood bright red traces, a local specialty in Changhua Town of Hangzhou City, is a highly sought-after material for making seals and carving handicrafts. Inspired by its colors, artisan have been bringing ingeniously-designed and broadly-themed creations throughout its long history and helped form the Jixue stone carving's unique features with their relentless pursuit of craftsmanship. The Changhua Jixue stone carving was listed in the second batch of the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2008. The vitality of this heritage has never faded away with time. In recent years, the local government has adopted a series of measures to facilitate the industrial development and the cultivation of young artisans. The Changhua Jixue stone carving is blossoming with new life in heritage and innovation. (Xinhua/Weng Xinyang)