Shell carving, a traditional craft with a history of over 60 years in Pingtan, Fujian province, has been added to the city's list of intangible cultural heritage.

Shells can be found everywhere in Pingtan, a city formed of more than 100 islands in the Taiwan Strait. As a result, the tradition of shell carving emerged in Pingtan much earlier than elsewhere in China.

The city set up China's first State-owned shell carving factory in 1959, according to Pingtan’s municipal records.

Pingtan's small, delicately carved shell ornaments have already received wide recognition over the past few years.

In 2014, two works of shell carving, Breeding and Pingtan Daffodils, made by local Pingtan craftsmen, won innovation awards at the 49th National Trade Fair of Artware held in Fuzhou, the provincial capital of Fujian.

"As a traditional craft, Pingtan shell carving has great artistic and commercial value," said Zhan Lixin, a local craftsman, adding that the addition of the art form to the Pingtan Intangible Cultural Heritage List would further improve its profile across the world.

Breeding is a work of shell carving by You Rengui, a local Pingtan craftsman. The work won a gold prize at the 49th National Trade Fair of Artware. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]