The first Spring Festival Exhibition of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Folk Crafts opens in Qidong. [Photo/WeChat account: qidongfabu]

The first Spring Festival Exhibition of Intangible Cultural Heritage and Folk Crafts opened in Qidong on Feb 11, featuring nearly 100 finely crafted works that bridge tradition and modern creativity.

The exhibition at the Qidong Cultural Center presents three themed sections, ranging from vintage household items, traditional craftsmanship, and contemporary cultural derivatives. The displays, arranged in an elegant and layered layout, offer visitors an immersive look at the city's rich folk traditions and changing artistic expressions.

People appreciate the classically styled square stools displayed at the Qidong Cultural Center. [Photo/WeChat account: qidongfabu]

Among the highlights were a series of mortise-and-tenon woodworking pieces presented by carpenter Shi Dongdong and his apprentices. The younger craftsmen contributed structurally precise jewelry boxes and classically styled square stools, while Shi himself exhibited three meticulously crafted works: a jewelry chest with solemn, traditional patterns; a wooden measuring tool known as a shengluo; and a foldable jiaowu, an ancient portable stool once used on horseback.

Stuffed toys made with local blue calico fabrics. [Photo/WeChat account: qidongfabu]

The exhibition also features blue calico designs created by students from Nanyuan Primary School in Qidong. Their patterns draw on traditional motifs while incorporating childlike imagination and modern aesthetics, and some designs are even assisted by artificial intelligence tools.

Another standout contributor is Yuan Shuiyu, a 72-year-old municipal-level inheritor of the craft of yarn-dyed homespun cloth weaving. Yuan presented five of her woven works, each the result of careful pattern conception, color design, loom weaving, and repeated refinement, reflecting decades of dedication to the craft.

By bringing together veteran artisans, young apprentices, and even schoolchildren, the exhibition offers a vivid snapshot of how traditional skills are preserved, reinterpreted, and passed on during the Spring Festival season.