Stone carving competition held in Fujian

The stone sculpture art in Hui'an City, east China's Fujian Province, boasts a long history and delicate techniques. The fifth China Sculpture Festival was opened there.

Nearly 40 sculptors from 13 countries and regions, including China, the United States, Turkey, and Bulgaria are participating in the festival. Over 15 days, they will compete with their inspiration and skill, as well as exchange ideas with fellow artists.

Hui'an city is the largest stone carving manufacturer and has the most advanced techniques. It is billed as the "paradise of sculptors".

Zhang Yongjian, sculptor from Shandong Province, said, "Hui'an is the distributing center of stones. We can find any kind of stone on Earth here. And the local artisans are masters of taking care of stones. We sculptors can learn a lot from them."

The stone carving techniques derived in Hui'an enjoys a renowned reputation at home and abroad. The art has been enlisted in the China State Intangible Culture Heritage in 2006.