Yantai dough modeling is handed down from generation to generation in Yantai, Shandong province. [Photo/WeChat account: zhifuwanpan]

Yantai dough models, which are good for both viewing and eating, and suitable for long-term preservation and collection, are handcrafted products that have been handed down from generation to generation in Yantai, Shandong.

Dough models consist of flour mixed into different colors. With skillful hands and a lump of dough, it can be shaped into a variety of lifelike figures.

With skillful hands and a lump of dough, Yantai dough models can be shaped into a variety of lifelike figures. [Photo/WeChat account: zhifuwanpan]

Wang Xiaoyan, a representative inheritor of Yantai dough modeling, an intangible cultural heritage (ICH) item, uses her skillful hands to create vivid, lively characters, taking us through various dynasties, engaging in a dialogue with the times, and passing down the ICH through her fingertips.

Wang's main works include ancient figures, Peking Opera characters, mythological figures, modern and realistic figures, cultural and creative products and special flower pastries reflecting traditional culture. Characters she has made include the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, the Tang Palace Banquet, and the Drunken Concubine. Each character is only 20 to 30 centimeters tall, but vivid, lifelike, and delicate with distinct features, reflecting Wang's exquisite sculpting skills.