Giving thanks to nature by exquisite craftsmanship

Nature's generosity is unending, from the water to the forests that shade us on hot summer days. In return, people in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Yunnan Province try to preserve the beauty of nature by carving wood, a tradition that has been carried out for generations. 

Plants, flowers, wild animals, or legends are often carved on a trunk of wood before being painted with plant-based paint. Normally, it takes a whole year to finish a piece with a complicated design, and it can cost about 30,000 yuan. Because of the time cost and relatively low economic return, the craftsmanship is at the risk of disappearing. 

(All photos by CGTN's Lv Cong.)