The Suzhou Jiangnan Farming Culture Park has not yet reopened to the public due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, but several craftspeople have already returned to work.

In a woodcarving workshop, Zhang Yanlun has devoted himself to learning traditional Chinese woodcarving techniques from Qian Ruxiang, a senior craft artist.

The 20-year-old man has been studying woodcarving for five years. His hands are rough and calloused, contrasting sharply with his youthful face.

“I liked playing with mud as a child, so I decided to study redwood carving at the Changshu High-tech Park Secondary Vocational School when I graduated from junior middle school,” said Zhang, suggesting he sees woodcarving as somehow similar to playing with mud.

When studying in Changshu, he visited a local woodcarving expert almost every weekend to learn more secret skills, which were not available on campus.

At first, he often accidentally cut his fingers while carving. “It really hurt, but I knew I could overcome it with the proper skills,” said Zhang.

He knew even then that woodcarving is difficult to learn and requires a lot of patience, turning many young people away. He had more than 50 classmates, but few of them made a career out of woodcarving.

His works currently resemble machine-produced wood carvings, but he hopes to move past this.

“I hope I can make a mark in this field, master the ancient technique and even improve the art form,” said Zhang, “It will take at least five years to achieve this.”