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China’s Chaozhou woodcarvers

created an art form that still thrives
Chaozhou woodcarving in Chaozhou architecture in modern times.
Photo: Anven Wu
8-10 minutos

This article is part of a weekly series that dives deep into the
small things that add character to our city, enrich our culture and
make our lives beautiful.

The Chaozhou art form is one of the oldest surviving and most
reputable forms of woodcarving in China, and is famous for its
precision, sophistication and lifelike sculptures.

Depicting everything from golden phoenixes and blossoming

flowers to crabs struggling in a fishing net and rivals fighting in a
martial arts contest, the craft captures the fine, complex details of
images and moments in time.

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A Chaozhou craftsman carves an ornate wooden sculpture.

Photo: Anven Wu

It brings them to life, right down to facial expressions and

dynamic movements.

Chaozhou woodcarvings can often be found on the doors,

windows and beams of temples and ancestral halls, on furniture
such as partitions and cabinets, on ornaments and on religious
tools and vessels.

A common theme is sea animals such as crabs, lobsters and fish

... [because] many Chaozhou people used to be fishermen

Carol Lau, assistant curator, urban and oral history, Hong Kong
Museum of History

In 2006, Chaozhou woodcarving was placed on the first national

list of intangible cultural heritage.

Chaozhou woodcarving dates back to the Tang dynasty

(618–907).

By the end of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), the Chaozhou

people had already mastered the skills and techniques involved,

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says Anven Wu Yim-chung, an executive director of the

Federation of Hong Kong Chiu Chow Community Organisations.

Chaozhou woodcarving continued to develop, reaching its peak in

the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).

“In the early years of the dynasty, a Ming loyalist called Zheng
Chenggong tried to topple the regime,” Wu says.

“When he was in Taiwan, the Qing court imposed a sea embargo

to prevent anyone, such as the fishermen, from helping him.”

The Qing government eventually defeated Zheng and sea travel

resumed, but by then suffering was already endemic among the
Chaozhou people.

“Some ate tree bark to survive,” Wu says.

“As a result, some Chaozhou people moved to Southeast Asian

countries, such as Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.”

While many migrants struggled to survive, some managed to get

by, eventually building on their wealth.

From the middle to late Qing dynasty, those who did well began
sending money back to those family and friends who had
remained in China.

Much of this money went towards building ceremonial buildings in

China, all of them embellished with exquisite details and intricate
patterns carved out of wood.

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Wooden beams, exquisitely carved during the Ming dynasty,

inside an ancestral hall in Chaozhou. Photo: Anven Wu

“As soon as you enter a temple or an ancestral hall in Chaozhou,

you will see wooden crossbeams on both sides of the ceiling
decorated with elaborate carvings,” Wu says.

While Ming dynasty craftsmen would leave the natural colour of

the wood intact after carving, from the Qing dynasty onwards they
began coating the carvings in colours such as gold, red, blue-
green, black and white.

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A Chaozhou craftsman adds a layer of gold to a piece of carved

wood. Photo: Anven Wu

Carol Lau, assistant curator of urban and oral history, at the Hong
Kong Museum of History, which is now staging an exhibition,
“Gilded Glory: Chaozhou Woodcarving”, says the woodcarvings
are also known as “gilt wood” because of the way in which
lacquer and gold foil are often applied to pieces to give them a
resplendent gold finish.

As soon as you enter a temple or an ancestral hall in Chaozhou,

you will see wooden crossbeams on both sides of the ceiling
decorated with elaborate carvings

Anven Wu, Federation of Hong Kong Chiu Chow Community

Organisations

Chaozhou woodcarving is well known for its openwork carving

technique, which sets patterns against a hollowed-out backdrop,
Lau says.

Other woodcarving techniques used in the Chaozhou craft

include relief carving, in-the-round carving and intaglio carving. In
relief carving, the pattern projects from the wood surface against
a flat backdrop. Carving in the round produces three-dimensional
pieces that can be viewed from all angles. With intaglio carving,
the design is cut into the wood surface.

Before they start carving, craftsmen have to choose the right

knives and the right wood. Camphor, China fir, chinaberry and
rosewood are all common carving materials.

The process of carving is a complex one and every detail matters.

Woodcarvers first outline an image on a thin piece of paper, then

placing it on a block of wood before carefully carving out the
patterns and putting colours on them.

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The patterns carved reflect the local culture of Chaozhou.

“One of the most common themes is sea animals such as crabs,

lobsters and fish, which is a reflection of the everyday life of the
Chaozhou people, many of whom used to be fishermen,” Lau
says.

“The carvings also indicate the hope for abundant catches.”

Also popular are signs of blessings such as phoenixes, as well as

scenes from folklore, myths and Chaozhou opera that carry a
positive message, such as Guo Ziyi’s Birthday Celebration, a
story about prosperity and longevity.

“Chaozhou people perform opera for the deities they worship,”

Lau says.

Finely decorated wooden beams, carved in the Qing style, inside

a ceremonial building in Chaozhou, China, Photo: Anven Wu

“On some carved pieces of multilayered openwork, you will find

the detailed depiction of these stories where different scenes are
separated by the carving of footpaths, streams and steps.”

For crossbeams, Wu considers a form called “three beams, five

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melons” the most magnificent type of woodcarving.

This form is characterised by short columns in the shape of

melons; they simultaneously decorate the beams and support the
ceiling above them.

“Melons, which grow on long vines, are a symbol of abundant

offspring,” Wu says.

“The blossoming of fruit is also a sign of a big, prospering family.”

Chaozhou woodcarving decorated with gold on a food container

used in religious ceremonies to honour deities. Photo: Anven Wu

As well as its application on buildings and beams, Chaozhou

woodcarving is often used to decorate tools and objects used in
religious rituals.

Chaozhou woodcarving reflects our deep feelings for our deities

and ancestors: the more detailed the woodwork, the more we
show our respect

Anven Wu

These include offering plates, shrine tables on which incense is

burned and where ancestor tablets are placed, and the boxes in

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which sacred food is placed inside a temple.

“You give the most precious food to deities, and the container
also needs to be of the highest quality, which is why we decorate
it with gold,” Wu says.

The Chaozhou people have a long tradition of deity worship.

They are devoted to building and refurbishing temples and

ancestral halls, and it is this dedication that has kept the art of
woodcarving alive and flourishing.

“Everyone wants the deities to protect them and their family, and
we all want our temples and ancestor houses to be the most
spectacular,” Wu says.

It’s a far cry from Hong Kong, where high labour costs are
contributing to the speedy decline of the art of woodcarving.

“Chaozhou woodcarving reflects our deep feelings for our deities

and ancestors.

“The more detailed the woodwork, the more we show our

respect,” Wu says.

“The tradition is a source of pride for us and reminds us of where

we come from.”

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A finely carved wooden table, decorated with gold, in a shrine in

Chaozhou. Photo: Anven Wu

Explore the rich, intricate qualities of Chaozhou woodcarving at

“Gilded Glory: Chaozhou Woodcarving”, an exhibition dedicated
to the exquisite art and culture of the Chaoshan region.

It is on show now at the Hong Kong Museum of History, in

Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui East, until February 25.

For details, go to hk.history.museum/en_US/web/mh/exhibition

/current.html

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