Figurine master more known for kindness than skills

After an impoverished childhood, the artist wants to try her best to help others

With her rough yet deft hands, Gao Guiying kneaded and pressed a lump of dough to shape 10 petals of a red rose in less than 10 minutes at her workshop in Jinan, capital city of East China's Shandong province, on April 5. On a desk in front of her, there were different colored doughs and dozens of dough figurines made by Gao and her six apprentices.

The 70-year-old has become a local celebrity with her image and stories frequently seen on the news. However, what makes Gao well-known among locals and outstanding among folk artists of dough figurines is not for her skills, but for her kindness. She has helped many people in need and changed their lives.

In the simple 10-square-meter workshop which is also used as a kitchen and dining area for Gao and her apprentices, posters with words of gratitude to Gao are hung on the walls. These posters are given by people Gao had helped.

Gao has been teaching people how to make dough figurines for free since the late 1990s. In addition, she has been providing poor people with lodgings and food for free, and supporting poor college students with her retirement allowance and the money she earns from selling dough figurines.

Gao cannot remember the exact number of people who have learned figurine making skills from her, but she said the number should be no less than 5,000. During the past two decades, she has donated more than 1 million yuan ($149,130) to help those in need.

"I suffered a lot when I was young and I know how bad it is to live in poverty, so I'd like to do as much as I can to help more people live better," Gao said.