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Exquisite Chinese dough figurines are a deeply enchanting aspect of Chinese folk art. On the streets of many Chinese cities, vendors can be seen selling exquisite dough figurines which usually draws a big crowd. With a history of over 1,300 years, this originally folk art is now practiced by many highly skillful professional artists. Find a personal shopping assistant to go on a personal tour in Beijing to buy unique, elegant dough figurines in some of the most special local shops.

Usually made of wheat flour or glutinous rice, Chinese dough figurines are characterized by their incredibly small sizes, lifelike features, and beautiful, vivid expressions. Because of the soft, pliable nature of dough, artists can easily manipulate the details on a work into ideal shapes. Compared to figurines made of hard materials like porcelain or metal, figurines made of dough, with their smooth, warm appearances, are especially good at bringing out the “human” aspect of art.

The origin of Chinese dough figurine is unknown. Archaeological evidence suggest the earliest works were made about 1,300 years ago, during the Tang dynasty. In the Song dynasty, it became a popular practice for people to create dough figurines for festivals.

Cultural Note: A legend says Chinese dough figurines were invented by Zhuge Kongming, a famous military leader from the Three Kingdoms period. Zhuge once wanted lead his army across the Lu River to engage the enemies at the other side, but they were stopped by the horrible waves caused by strong wind. One of Zhuge’s personal advisors suggested the sacrifice of 49 human heads to calm the god who controlled the river, but Zhuge instead used 49 heads made of dough. This tactic was successful, and the tradtion of making dough heads was passed down through generations.

The status of dough figurines being a folk art was elevated to a formal art during the Ming and Qing dynasty, when serious artists from many places in China specialized in making and selling dough figurines. The most well-known artists from this time include Wang Qingyuan and Guo Xiangyun, whose “Heze” style figurines made their hometown in Shangdong province famous, and “Dough Figurine Zhang”, a Tianjin local whose skills were not passed down.

Traditionally, dough figurines are used by Chinese in four different ways: as decoration, as food, as offering to gods or ancestors, and as gifts for famlily and friends on festivals.

Decoration: Dough figurines make for great decoration. A high-quality dough figurine, though small, is able to be preserved for a long time and still retains its shape and colors. Exquisite works made by creative artists have unique, beautiful designs that are regardedly highly by art lovers.

Food: In some regions of China, especially Shanxi province, people make auspicious dough figurines to celebrate important events and eat them as food.

Offerings: Some people believe the art of dough figurine developed from the ancient tradtion of using figurines as offerings to gods and ancestors. Many archaeological findings from burials seem to support this assumption. This traditon continues into the present.

Gifts: People in many places of China have an old tradition of giving dough figurines to family members and friends on festivals and important events. A lot of visitors in China are enchanted by the unique, exquisite dough figurines in the local shops, and often buy them as gift to bring home.

There are three major styles of dough figurines produced in different places in China: Heze dough figurine, Xinzhou dough figurines, and Xiangzhou dough figurines.

In Beijing, there are many amazing local shops with dough figurines made by some of the best artists in China. When you go shop for these products, go on a Beijing China tour to find out!

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