Traditional crafts find new life in Shenyang's historic hutong

In Erduoyan hutong, a century-old alleyway in Shenyang, capital of Northeast China's Liaoning province, a piece of red paper slowly takes shape under a pair of swift scissors. Within minutes, a delicate silhouette portrait of a visitor comes to life.

"Paper-cutting is one of our most treasured traditional crafts," Zhang Fengwen, a third-generation inheritor of his family's silhouette art, said. Zhang learned the craft from his grandmother, a member of China's Xibe ethnic group.

He still remembers his first work. "In 2007, I created a silhouette portrait for a fellow passenger at a railway station," he recalled. "The passenger was amazed by how accurately I captured their features."

Today, Zhang creates customized silhouette portraits for visitors at Erduoyan hutong, transforming the traditional craft into a unique personal keepsake. He's not alone in keeping heritage alive in this lane.

Erduoyan hutong earned its name because its narrow, winding lanes resemble a human ear canal. Following renovations completed in 2025, the hutong introduced a cluster of intangible cultural heritage workshops, creating a space where ancient crafts meet modern curiosity.

Among them is Li Fengyan's sugar figurine workshop, where visitors try their hand at making sugar figurines under her guidance. As a fifth-generation representative inheritor of Shenyang Li's sugar figurine craft, she works with melted sugar to create delicate artworks through blowing, molding and painting.

"We're not limited to traditional designs like dragons and phoenixes," Li said. "Popular cultural elements, including characters from Chinese animation, are also incorporated into my creations."

Recognizing that traditional sugar figurines are made for immediate consumption and difficult to preserve, she developed longer-lasting products, including specially shaped candies and decorative clay pieces, allowing visitors to take home a piece of the traditional technique.

"Interactive experiences and souvenir sales complement each other," Li said. "Tradition and innovation are not at odds. Commercial development, when done right, can help sustain traditional craftsmanship."

That philosophy echoes throughout the hutong. At Wang Muxin's leaf carving workshop, the fourth-generation inheritor of Wang's leaf carving in Shenyang transforms ordinary leaves into delicate artworks through dozens of steps, including steaming, shaping and carving.

For Wang, observation isn't enough. "Only through hands-on participation can people truly appreciate and remember this craft," she said.

She recalled a girl from southern China's Fujian province who fell in love with leaf carving on her first visit. "She was so excited after trying it that she asked to come back," Wang said. "Her father brought her back during her winter break. Seeing her enthusiasm and her family's support was deeply moving."

Today, visitors can view leaf carving works and learn about the process at Erduoyan hutong. Those seeking to try the craft themselves can visit Wang's studio and create their own works under her guidance.

Beyond paper-cutting, sugar figurines and leaf carving, Erduoyan hutong now hosts a diverse array of traditional arts, ranging from making dragon-beard candy and painting feathers to playing the xun, an ancient Chinese wind instrument.

Shen Aoxin, a soon-to-be college student from Huludao in Liaoning province, was initially attracted to the hutong by its unusual name, but ended up spending hours exploring the workshops.

After trying sugar painting at Li's workshop, he was amazed to see melted sugar transformed into delicate shapes. "Every craftsman here possesses unique skills," he said.

For local planners, the goal is to build an immersive experience that resonates with travelers.

"Modern cultural tourism relies on building an emotional connection with visitors," Pan Hongyang, a staff member at a local cultural development center in Shenyang, said.

"When people participate directly in traditional crafts and take home something they created themselves, traditional culture becomes something they can engage with and remember," Pan added.

Pan Sijia and Zhang Yanlin contributed to the story.