The year 2026 is the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac. As a cultural symbol of progress and vitality, the galloping horse carries people's aspirations for the new year. In Hefei, a city deeply rooted in the charm of Anhui culture, Liu Dan, a fifth-generation inheritor of the provincial intangible cultural heritage "Palace-Style Colored Painting and Gold Application" and a master of arts and crafts in Anhui province, is using his carving knife as a brush and wood as his medium. He brings the dynamic grace and enterprising spirit of horses to life on ordinary pieces of wood, infusing the Year of the Horse with profound cultural warmth.

In Liu Dan's studio, each movement of the carving knife reveals vivid "horses." Some are shown with heads raised and hooves in motion, their manes flowing; others race side by side with breathtaking momentum. Following the natural grain of the wood, he carves meticulously, with smooth strokes and distinct textures. His work seamlessly blends the ancient techniques passed down through generations with the bold and spirited essence of the horse. Fragile pieces of wood seem to gain life under his hands, every incision embodying extreme precision and dedication, and every carved line expressing the simplest, most heartfelt warmth of folk tradition.

"The horse symbolizes progress, good fortune, and strength," said Liu Dan. "As an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, I hope to convey the blessings of the Year of the Horse to more people through the traditional art of wood carving." Beyond his creative work, Liu is actively dedicated to the preservation and promotion of intangible cultural heritage. He has mentored over a dozen apprentices, passing down techniques such as wood carving, gold application, and colored painting. He also brings these traditional crafts into schools, planting the seeds of cultural heritage in the hearts of young students.

With every movement of the carving knife, the legacy of craftsmanship is passed down; in the interplay of light and shadow, cultural heritage endures. Liu Dan and his horse wood carvings are not only exquisite works of art but also a profound embodiment of cultural inheritance, breathing new vitality into the beauty of intangible cultural heritage in the new era.

Source: anhuinews.com