Two exhibitions showcasing China's traditional folk art will open in Shenzhen on November 3, offering visitors a glimpse of the country's diverse craftsmanship as the city prepares to host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting on November 18 and 19.
The Blooming Splendor: Exhibition of Works by Winners of the Shanhua Award for Chinese Folk Crafts will bring together more than 150 works by over 40 award-winning artists from across China at the Sea World Culture & Arts Center. The Shanhua Award is one of China's leading national awards for folk literature and art, recognizing outstanding works in fields ranging from traditional crafts to folk performance and literature.
The works span traditional art forms including ceramics, embroidery, wood carving, lacquerware, paper-cutting and shadow puppetry. The exhibition uses Tiangong Kaiwu (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature), a 17th-century Chinese encyclopedia of science and technology compiled by Song Yingxing during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), as a guiding thread linking the works, highlighting not only the skill behind each piece but also the cultural knowledge that shapes it.
Running alongside it, the 16th Guangdong Folk Craft Masterpieces Exhibition will showcase 70 selected works or sets from 310 submissions across Guangdong Province.
Visitors can explore local traditions such as Cantonese and Chaozhou embroidery, Cantonese porcelain painting, wood carving and ceramic sculpture. Organized around four themes: place, craftsmanship, objects and everyday life, the exhibition explores how these art forms are rooted in local culture and remain relevant today.
Together, the exhibitions bring traditional crafts from across China and Guangdong's distinctive artistic heritage into focus. They also highlight how artists are keeping traditional techniques alive while adapting them to contemporary tastes and lifestyles.
Both exhibitions will run from November 3 to 22 at the Sea World Culture & Arts Center in Shenzhen's Shekou area.
Reporter: Li Muzi
Photo: The Sea World Culture & Arts Center
