Dough Figurine

Since ancient times, the Guanzhong region has produced wheat and rice in abundance, and the locals are very good at utilizing rice and flour. During the Spring Festival, Xi'an people use flour to make flower buns, dumplings, Saozi noodles, also using glutinous rice flour to make dough figurines.

The dough figurine, one of the city-level intangible cultural heritage in Xi'an, is commonly known as Mian Hua and Li Mo, it is also one of the traditional folk arts in Xi'an. In the past, as the Chinese New Year arrives, the dough figurine craftsman would travel from town to town to present their artworks, acquiring huge popularity from the public. Nowadays, the dough figurine as an art form is valued as a precious intangible cultural heritage.

The dough figurine is based on glutinous rice, the main material, which is pre-toned into different colors. The craftsman takes the material as needed, then pinches, rolls, kneads, and lifts it in his hands. Upon all these moves, he deftly points, cuts, carves, and scratches the dough with a small bamboo knife to shape the body, hands, and head, finally dressing the figurine with hair ornaments and clothes. In no time, a vivid artistic figure is created. The dough figurines are edible, and can be consolidated as a special collection, favored by the public especially during the Spring Festival temple fair.

After thousands of years of inheritance and development, the dough figurine is now an important element of China's intangible cultural heritage. Zhang Beyuan, the fifth generation of his family to inherit the technique of making dough figurine, used to study the sculpture in Japan. He participated in the production of popular Japanese comic figurines such as "Naruto" and "One Piece". After returning to China, he did not take the steady job as an art teacher or participate in animation production. Instead, he went back to his family tradition —— dough figurine.

Source of pic: studio of Zhang Beiyuan

Sites to check out for hands-on experiences

Yongxing Fang       

Chang'an Intangible Cultural Heritage Town