Man brings prosperity to villagers with pyrography gourds

Long Changqing earns big money with pyrography gourds, an intangible cultural heritage, in Handan in North China's Hebei province.

Long got to know gourd pyrography art when he was a teenager and then started to learn gourd pyrography techniques by himself.

He has created more than 3,000 products in 20 years and established a gourd pyrography association teaching local villagers pyrography gourd making for free in 2015.

From gourd planting, processing and selling, villagers can learn everything about how to make pyrography gourds from Long and focus on making individualized product for each customer.

Currently, the annual sales of creative product pyrography gourd of the village exceed 30,000 pieces, with an output value of more than 5 million yuan ($770,000).

Some creative products are also exported to overseas markets, and pyrography gourd making has become a pillar industry for local villagers to earn money.