Traditional cloth shoes such as tiger-head shoes and phoenix-eye shoes produced in Heze, Shandong province have become hot market items.In recent years, Heze's Mudan district has been promoting the development of the "Shandong handmade" industry by relying on traditional handicrafts such as traditional cloth shoes.?It has cultivated more than 10 related enterprises and more than 200 micro factories in rural areas, which helps increase employment and incomes for local villagers, and is injecting new vitality into rural vitalization.Villagers make traditional cloth shoes at a workshop in Anxing town, Mudan district, Heze on Dec 1. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]Traditional tiger-head shoes sell well in the market, and increase local villagers' incomes in Heze, Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]It's still customary in many rural areas to dress infants in embroidered tiger-head shoes with the hope that they will become as robust and dynamic as tigers. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn](adapted)
Nie Peng creates rabbit clay sculptures in various shapes in Gaomi, Shandong province. [Photo/Dazhong News]As the Chinese Year of the Rabbit approaches, Nie Peng, a sculptor from Niejiazhuang village in Gaomi, a county-level city in Weifang, Shandong province, is busy creating rabbit-shaped clay sculptures to meet the surging market demand, as people have started shopping to purchase decorations and gifts for the upcoming Spring Festival.The Niejiazhuang clay sculpture is a national-level intangible cultural heritage item. With bold and exaggerated modeling, naive and unsophisticated style, as well as bright and eye-catching colors, the Niejiazhuang clay sculpture has strong artistic appeal.Rabbit-shaped clay sculptures are seen at Nie Peng's workshop. Nie is a sculptor from Niejiazhuang village in Gaomi, Shandong province. [Photo/Dazhong News]Nie Peng, a sculptor from Niejiazhuang village in Gaomi, Shandong province, creates rabbit themed clay sculpture based on the Chinese zodiac to welcome the upcoming Chinese Year of the Rabbit. [Photo/Dazhong News]The upcoming Spring Festival, which is the Chinese Year of the Rabbit, has boosted consumption of rabbit-shaped decorations. [Photo/IC](adapted)
