Lanzhou gourd carving: a treasured art

Lanzhou gourd carving is a folk art unique to China. Using a knife or needle, a carver applies incised carving on the surface of gourds to reproduce traditional Chinese painting of landscape, flowers, birds and figures, as well as calligraphy, and then outlines the carvings with ink.

Thanks to generations of highly skilled and innovative carvers, Lanzhou gourd carving has found its own distinctive style, and has become valuable in the eyes of collectors.

Along with Lanzhou beef noodles and sheepskin raft, Lanzhou gourd carving is known as one of the Three Treasures of Lanzhou. There is even a saying in praise of the local specialties that "auspicious (carved) gourd and beef noodles, sheepskin raft as fast as warship".