Chen Miao, also known as "Sister Stone Dog," faces the camera and fluently tells foreign friends the ancient stories of Leizhou Stone Dogs in English, allowing this intangible cultural heritage treasure rooted in the Leizhou Peninsula to capture the attention of audiences across the globe.
Chen Miao introduces the culture of Leizhou Stone Dogsto foreign friends. (Photo: Chen Wen)
Chen Miao exudes poise and decisiveness, as her nickname suggests. She strides around in her small heels inside her Leizhou Stone Dog Intangible Cultural Heritage Studio, efficiently tackling a slew of tasks, including delivering custom stone dog souvenirs, overseeing the construction of a new factory, and much more.
Chen Miao has loved her hometown culture since childhood. Leizhou, the only county-level historic and cultural city in Zhanjiang, western Guangdong, boasts profound cultural heritage. However, entrenched stereotypes have prevented the stone dog culture from reaching wider audiences, and this precious heritage remains undervalued. Unwilling to let this legacy go unnoticed, she resigned from her stable post at a state-owned bank and returned home to launch her studio, vowing to showcase the unique charm of Leizhou Stone Dogs to the whole world.
Exquisite cultural and creative products of Leizhou Stone Dogs (Photo: Chen Wen)
Leizhou Stone Dog Intangible Cultural Heritage Studio (Photo: Chen Wen)
Five Blessings Stone Dogs (Photo: Luo Kangcheng)
She revitalized the carving factory that her father had run for years. While preserving the traditional stone-carving craft, the factory now also develops innovative cultural and creative merchandise. Day after day, Chen Miao and her team pore over their desks, revising designs for cultural products time and again.
She displayed newly developed creations at the China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair, including the Five Blessings miniature stone dogs series, lion-shaped miniature stone dogs carved from white marble, bookmark sets and stone dog-themed jewelry boxes. The exhibits drew crowds of visitors and potential business partners.
"Sister Stone Dog" takes Leizhou Peninsula's cultural icon to the world. (Photo: Luo Kangcheng)
Thanks to Chen Miao's dedication and promotion, the culture of Leizhou Stone Dogs has traveled far beyond its hometown to overseas lands. The Leizhou Association in Malacca, Malaysia, commissioned two large stone dogs to be placed at the entrance of its hall. Furthermore, her stone dog cultural merchandise has secured orders from the United Kingdom, helping this little-known heritage from Leizhou gain international recognition.
Author | Chen Wen
