The curtains rose at the 10th Cross-Straits Folk Culture Fair in Fuzhou, Fujian province on Feb 9, which displayed a line of eye-opening ancient handicrafts.

The exuberant cultural fair was launched in the city's Huahai Park, as the subtropical coastal city enjoys a warm early February, with the air suffused with the tweeting of birds and the aromas of spring flowers.

All these provided a festive atmosphere for visitors to join the two-day event that presented ingenious craftsmanship in various forms, as well as fascinating folk performances, intriguing lantern riddles, and chances to sample local tea and traditional snacks.

Rice gain sculptures

Creating intricate artworks from grains of rice has been practiced by artists in Gaolou village for some 300 years, but after 70 years of neglect the few remaining masters of this art form are now in their 80s or 90s, putting the handicraft under the threat of extinction.

Fortunately, thanks to the instruction from these old masters, a young man called Chen Guorui has learned the skill and is giving the art form a new lease of life. To welcome the Year of the Rooster, Chen spent 18 days making a statue of a rooster without any historical works to use for reference.

After finishing this challenging work, Chen started considering how to prolong the lifetime of a rice threads work.

An exquisitely crafted rooster sculpture made from rice gains is on display the 10th Cross-Straits Folk Culture Festival in Fuzhou, Fujian province on Feb 9. The work was created by the young artisan Chen Guorui, who has given a new lease of life to the neglected art form.[Photo/fznews.com]

Chen works on a peach-shaped rice sculpture. [Photo/asiannewsphoto]