Artist sees beauty in gourds

Over the past 60 years, Li Hongda has made numerous pieces of art with an unusual material.

The 70-year-old artist in Changchun, capital city of Northeast China's Jilin province, presents vivid characters and landscapes using calabash gourds as a base.

Li began to study calabash carving when he was 10 years old. After three years of study in fine arts, he began to try unique carving techniques.

"I hope more young people can pay attention to this intangible cultural heritage," he said.

"I will teach those who want to learn the skills of calabash carving for free," he added.