Seed painting flourishes in Shandong province

Dongming grain painting, also known as seed painting, is a fascinating folk art and an intangible cultural heritage item from East China's Shandong province.

It uses the natural shapes and colors of various grains and cereals – treated for anti-corrosion and carefully pasted together later – to create artwork hung on walls, often called "food for thought".

Han Guorui, a Dongming grain painting folk artist, established a company providing free training and employment to over 100 individuals with disabilities – to promote the craft and assist vulnerable groups as well.

The company has received various accolades, including recognition for its contribution to poverty alleviation and recognition for being an employment workshop.

Han Guorui shows a grain painting to participants in a training session. [Photo by Yang Tong for chinadaily.com.cn]

In addition, Han has taken proactive steps to promote the integration of Dongming grain painting into school curriculums. He uses physical materials and video tutorials, designed to make it more accessible to students.

What's more, Han has developed an eco-friendly, non-toxic and cost-effective preservation technology, which helps to expand the applications of Dongming grain painting beyond ritual purposes.

Dongming grain painting has now become an intangible cultural heritage item in Shandong province through his efforts. It's widely acknowledged to provide employment opportunities and contributes to rural revitalization, causing it to be regarded as a shining example of rural development nationwide. (Edited by Zhou Yunlai)