Special art store charms folks in Shandong's county

Editor's note: Shandong province in East China has cultivated a range of well-known brands across several sectors including manufacturing, tourism, culture, agriculture and food. The "Friendly Shandong, Remarkable Shandong" brand strategy has increasingly become a key engine for driving the province's high-quality growth. China Daily is publishing a series of stories to display various renowned brands, specialties and handicrafts in Shandong.

In the Shanxian county of Heze city in East China's Shandong province, a hidden gem has emerged: the Yangzi handmade boutique.

Established in 2020, the local shop has captured the hearts of admirers for its great collection of traditional hand-carved pieces.

At the heart of the store are three artisans who have come together to create a harmonious blend of skill and passion. Gao Xuedong, known for his proficiency in landscape paintings and nature-inspired renditions, brings scenes of serene mountains and colorful flora to life.

Meanwhile, Song Yunlong expertly captures the essence of revered figures in Chinese culture, such as Bodhidharma, Maitreya Buddha and Arhats. Finally, Wang Guijie demonstrates expertise in the art of machine carving, adding a contemporary touch to their collection.

The design team of the Yangzi handmade boutique displays some of their works. [Photo by Wang Xiaolan for chinadaily.com.cn]

In a bid to reach a wider audience, the store has embraced the power of online platforms in recent years by joining popular e-commerce platforms such as Taobao, the Xianyu online secondhand platform and Douyin – the Chinese version of TikTok.

Its online stores are said to experience great success, with each handcrafted hairpin fetching an average price of about 300 yuan ($41.97) and monthly sales reaching an impressive range of 40,000 to 50,000 yuan.

However, due to the nature of traditional craftsmanship, it is impossible to mass-produce these intricately carved pieces. Each is a one-off, ensuring that customers truly possess a little treasure. (Edited by Zhou Yunlai)