Shanxi's heritage takes the spotlight in Geneva

More than 1,500 years ago, Datong was a hub for the spread of the Buddhist religion and art in China.

Artists and craftsmen building the grottoes absorbed the essence of sculptural arts from South Asia, the origin of the Buddhist religion, and adapted these influences to local aesthetics, making the site a representative example of early Chinese Buddhist art.

"Even more than 1,500 years ago, craftsmen in Datong adhered to the principle of innovative inheritance when creating the grottoes," Yang said. "This has been an inspirational asset for many generations of local artists in the following periods."

Bearing this spirit in mind, Yang and her colleagues have created more than 500 creative cultural products based on the Datong knotting technique and local culture.

In recent years, Yang has brought the products to the world, displaying them in countries such as Brazil, India, France and Switzerland, making these small articles a vehicle to promote Chinese culture globally.

Bai Huaibing, a master inheritor of the ancient colored glaze production technique in Jiexiu, displayed more than 20 exhibits at the event in Geneva.

The Shanxi city of Jiexiu boasts a millennium-long history of colored glaze craftsmanship, hosting numerous buildings and ornaments adorned with this well-preserved art form.

The colored glaze pieces include ceramics, building ornaments and sculptures. Renowned for their vibrant hues and distinctive designs, these pieces have found frequent application in the decoration of ancient Chinese palaces, temples, pagodas and residences.

Since the Ming Dynasty, Jiexiu had been a major colored glaze ornaments supplier to the Forbidden City and other royal properties in the country.

Hailing from a family with many generations dedicated to colored glaze production, Bai has developed a great number of glazed items that appeal to modern aesthetics and are suitable for home decoration.

At the exhibition, the artist taught visitors how to apply glaze to the pottery bodies, giving them a better understanding of the traditional Chinese art.

"To make colored glaze items, you must have clean raw materials and clean ingredients, just like you must have a pure heart to make fine products," said Bai. "I have been treating this art as the heritage of my ancestors. I'm obliged to pass it on to future generations and promote it to the world."