Ji Maojie, a 45-year-old artist, creates a Dunhuang-inspired wooden sculpture. [Photo by Li Yalong for China News]

In the Lanzhou Creative Cultural Industry Park of Gansu province, Ji Maojie, a 45-year-old woodcarving artist, transforms the Dunhuang murals into lifelike statues using his carving tools.

Ji, originally from Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province, comes from a family with a tradition of ancient architectural wood carving. Since childhood, he has shown a strong interest in wood carving. Whenever he visits a new place, he like to first explore the local historical structures and examine various wood carving artworks.

In 2012, when he entered the Mogao Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Dunhuang, Northwest China's Gansu province, the vivid murals and sculptures left him in awe.

"There, I witnessed the epitome of craftsmanship hardened into artistic masterpieces. The artistic essence embedded in the murals and sculptures is what I'm after," said Ji.

To better understand Dunhuang art, he followed Xie Chengshui, former deputy director of the Dunhuang Academy's Institute of Fine Arts, embarking on a 6-year apprenticeship. Through repeated contemplation and practice, he was able to apply the mural painting techniques to his sculptures.

The Lanzhou Creative Cultural Industry Park has provided a "dream space" for local artists. In 2021, Ji was invited by the park to establish a Dunhuang wood carving research studio.

Entering this studio, one can find wood carving artworks of various sizes throughout the 100-square-meter space. Over 40 carving tools are neatly arranged on the workbench. Here, Ji has completed numerous Dunhuang wood carving pieces, mostly featuring artistic styles from the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

"I want to present more Dunhuang mural themes in the form of wood carving, make more cultural and creative products that appeal to customers, and allow more people to understand Dunhuang."