Everybody wants to do his or her bit to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of New China, but one senior citizen in Tianjin has done something really impressive. Zhao Liansheng has spent the past four months making 56 pairs of figurines. They represent the 56 ethnic groups of China and symbolize the nation's solidarity.
From dancing Tajiks and Tibetans, to the traditionally costumed Dongs and Huis these 56 pairs of figurines are ready to join the party to celebrate National Day. All these clay figurines are hand-made by Zhao Liansheng, a local Tianjing resident who is approaching the age of 70.
Zhao has been making figurines out of dough for the past six decades, but he says it took a lot of effort to make these clay ones, making sure that each statuette has a unique facial expression and wears an individual costume. Zhao says that since these figurines were cured in a kiln, they will maintain the same looks and gestures for around thirty years.
Apart from making dough figurines, Zhao also gives lectures at elementary and middle schools on Chinese folk culture in hopes to hand down the traditional handicraft.
