A brick carving work by Xu Chunrong. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

Brick carving, an important artistic form among various carvings in ancient Chinese residential buildings, refers to carving patterns, including figures, rivers, mountains, and flowers, on grey-green bricks.

Carved bricks were mainly used to decorate the walls of temples, coffin chambers, and residential buildings.

Xu Chunrong is the representative handicraftsman of brick carving in Hai'an.

A brick carving work by Xu Chunrong. [Photo/WeChat account: hafbwx]

Born in 1912, Xu learned wood carving from Sun Runchun when he was 17 years old and he learned how to carve on bricks by himself.

Zhang Ziqiang, honorary president for life of the Nantong Folk Writers and Artists Association, praised Xu's brick carving works, Xu Ruqi's dough figurines, and Lu Changyin's sugar figurines as the "three treasures of folk handicrafts in Hai'an".

Xu's works have been exhibited in many places.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xu's brick carving work Chairman Mao in Chengdu was displayed in Beijing.