sculptor draws lines on a statue at Zhang Yucheng's studio in Lianyungang in Jiangsu province on Jan 4. (Photo/Xinhua)
Sculptor Zhang Yucheng is carrying forward the intangible cultural heritage. Born in Hebei province in 1976, Yucheng began learning the art of jade carving at the age of 15 under the guidance of a senior artist in Beijing and began crystal sculpting in 1996. He combines different colored crystal together and creates a new style of sculpture. He has been honored with many awards in recent years. With his elder brother Zhang Jucheng and little sibling Zhang Licheng who also specialize in crystal sculpting, Yucheng established an art studio that joined "the national center of crystal" in Lianyungang in Jiangsu province in July 2015. Yucheng said he and his two brothers will work together with the local crystal sculptors in Lianyungang to study the future development of crystal carving. And they will endeavor to improve their skills and pass them on to the younger generation of sculptors.
