Dough sculptures bring Chinese dragons to life in Shandong

In celebration of the traditional Chinese festival Dragon Head-raising Day, which falls on the second day of the second lunar month, Dongming county – located in Heze city in East China's Shandong province – hosted a special event.

Leading dough sculptures artist Li Shuangzhen was invited to demonstrate the ancient art of crafting a Chinese loong, or dragon, with edible flour and glutinous rice flour.

A wonderful selection of delicate dough sculpture works by Li Shuangzhen. [Photo by Yu Fuyang for chinadaily.com.cn]

Originating from the folk traditions of Shandong, Shanxi and Beijing, dough sculptures boast a rich recorded history dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 24). During the recent special event, Li Shuangzhen, an expert in the craft, provided insights into its origins and its evolution over 1,300 years, emphasizing its significance as a crucial part of Chinese culture and folk art.

For the audience to gain an understanding of dough sculptures, Li showed the step-by-step process of creating a Chinese loong. Using flour mixed with vibrant colors, he molded the dough into intricate shapes, bringing the loong's body, head, scales and whiskers to life.

Li Shuangzhen works on a loong dough sculpture with fastidious attention. [Photo by Yu Fuyang for chinadaily.com.cn]

His live demonstration left the audience captivated – witnessing the transformation of simple ingredients into a lifelike representation of a Chinese loong. (Edited by Zhou Yunlai)